Shloka 23
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti
Chapter 50
उपस्थितानां रत्नानां श्रेष्ठानामर्घहारिणाम् । नादृश्यत पर: पारो नापरस्तत्र भारत
upasthitānāṁ ratnānāṁ śreṣṭhānām arghahāriṇām | nādṛśyata paraḥ pāro nāparastatra bhārata ||
قال دوريودhana: «يا بهاراتا! لقد كان ركام الجواهر المختارة النفيسة التي جاء بها الملوك المجتمعون جزيةً عظيمًا إلى حدٍّ لا يُرى معه طرفه البعيد—ولا حتى طرفه القريب.»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how immense wealth and public display of tribute can intoxicate the mind with pride and fuel competition; ethically, it cautions that splendor without humility and restraint becomes a seed of conflict.
In the royal assembly context, Duryodhana describes the enormous accumulation of precious jewels brought by kings as tribute—so large that neither end of the pile could be seen—emphasizing the extraordinary scale of the offerings.