Mbh 8.94.2c

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

In consequence of well-equipped royal cars deprived of riders and dragged by fleet steeds, as also of men and elephants and cars and horses that fled very quickly, the army has been broken in diverse ways. Spiked maces with golden bells, battle-axes, sharp lances, heavy clubs, mallets, bright unsheathed swords, and maces covered with cloth of gold, have fallen on the field. Bows decked with ornaments of gold, and shafts equipped with beautiful wings of pure gold, and bright unsheathed rapiers of excellent temper, and lances, and scimitars bright as gold, and umbrellas, and fans, and conchs, and arms decked with excellent flowers and gold, and caparisons of elephants, and standards, and car fences and diadems, and necklaces, and brilliant crowns, and yak-tails lying about, O king, and garlands luminous with corals and pearls, and chaplets for the head, and bracelets for both the wrist and the upper arms, and collars for the neck with strings of gold, and diverse kinds of costly diamonds and gems and pearls, and bodies brought up in a great luxury, and heads beautiful as the moon, are lying scattered about. Abandoning their bodies and enjoyments and robes and diverse kinds of agreeable pleasures, and acquiring great merit for the devotion they showed to the virtuous of their order, they have speedily gone in a blaze of flame to regions of bliss. Turn back, O Duryodhana! Let the troops retire! O king, O giver of honours, proceed towards thy camp! There, the Sun is hanging low in the welkin, O lord! Remember, O ruler of men, that thou art the cause of all this!"

Mbh 8.94.2c · Mahabharata · Karna-parva

Themes in this passage

Wealth Leadership Nature Devotion Dharma The Divine Joy Karma

Wealth in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Hellenism and Islam address it.

And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 13:2 · Bible · Genesis

She spoke; Minerva burns to meet the war: And now heaven’s empress calls her blazing car. At her command rush forth the steeds divine; Rich with immortal gold their trappings shine. Bright Hebe waits; by Hebe, ever young, The whirling wheels are to the chariot hung. On the bright axle turns the bidden wheel Of sounding brass; the polished axle steel. Eight brazen spokes in radiant order flame; The circles gold, of uncorrupted frame, Such as the heavens produce: and round the gold Two brazen rings of work divine were roll’d. The bossy naves of sold silver shone; Braces of gold suspend the moving throne: The car, behind, an arching figure bore; The bending concave form’d an arch before. Silver the beam, the extended yoke was gold, And golden reins the immortal coursers hold. Herself, impatient, to the ready car, The coursers joins, and breathes revenge and war.

Iliad 5.77 · Iliad · 5

Give unto orphans their wealth. Exchange not the good for the bad (in your management thereof) nor absorb their wealth into your own wealth. Lo! that would be a great sin.

Quran 4:2 · Quran · Women

While he was thus in two minds Helen came down from her high vaulted and perfumed room, looking as lovely as Diana herself. Adraste brought her a seat, Alcippe a soft woollen rug while Phylo fetched her the silver work-box which Alcandra wife of Polybus had given her. Polybus lived in Egyptian Thebes, which is the richest city in the whole world; he gave Menelaus two baths, both of pure silver, two tripods, and ten talents of gold; besides all this, his wife gave Helen some beautiful presents, to wit, a golden distaff, and a silver work box that ran on wheels, with a gold band round the top of it. Phylo now placed this by her side, full of fine spun yarn, and a distaff charged with violet coloured wool was laid upon the top of it. Then Helen took her seat, put her feet upon the footstool, and began to question her husband.42

Odyssey 4.12 · Odyssey · 4

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