Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 1
Duryodhana’s Envy at Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya and the Avabhṛtha Festival
श्रीराजोवाच अजातशत्रोस्तं दृष्ट्वा राजसूयमहोदयम् । सर्वे मुमुदिरे ब्रह्मन् नृदेवा ये समागता: ॥ १ ॥ दुर्योधनं वर्जयित्वा राजान: सर्षय: सुरा: । इति श्रुतं नो भगवंस्तत्र कारणमुच्यताम् ॥ २ ॥
śrī-rājovāca ajāta-śatros tam dṛṣṭvā rājasūya-mahodayam sarve mumudire brahman nṛ-devā ye samāgatāḥ
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, according to what I have heard from you, all the assembled kings, sages and demigods were delighted to see the wonderful festivities of King Ajātaśatru’s Rājasūya sacrifice, with the sole exception of Duryodhana. Please tell me why this was so, my lord.
FAQs
These verses describe how the assembled godlike kings rejoiced upon seeing Yudhishthira’s Rājasūya opulence, highlighting the grandeur and religious significance of the sacrifice in Krishna’s presence.
Parīkṣit had heard a specific detail—that Duryodhana was singled out as excluded—so he asks Śukadeva (addressed as “O brāhmaṇa, O venerable one”) to clarify the narrative cause and its deeper implication.
It encourages inquiry into the roots of exclusion, envy, and offense—reminding us that spiritual and social harmony depends on understanding motives and correcting pride rather than celebrating prestige alone.