Shloka 18
Dyūta-āhvāna: Śakuni’s Proposal, Vidura’s Warning, and the Summons of Yudhiṣṭhira
Sabhā-parva 51
एकपादांश्व॒ तत्राहमपश्यं द्वारि वारितान् । राजानो बलिमादाय नानावर्णाननेकश:
ekapādāṁś ca tatrāham apaśyaṁ dvāri vāritān | rājāno balim ādāya nānāvarṇān anekaśaḥ ||
قال دوريودhana: «هناك رأيتُ بنفسي عند باب القصر ملوكًا من أقاليم شتّى قد أُوقِفوا. كانوا قد جاؤوا يحملون الجزية—هدايا كثيرة الأنواع، عظيمة التنوع.»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political power is displayed through tribute and controlled access: the court’s splendor is reinforced by the submission of other rulers, while the act of making them wait also signals dominance and can become a source of resentment and ethical tension (honor versus humiliation).
Duryodhana reports what he personally witnessed: numerous kings arrived with tribute and were standing at the royal gate because they were being stopped from entering, emphasizing the scale of the assembly and the court’s authority over visiting rulers.