Shloka 5
दुर्योधनस्य बलिवर्णनम् — Duryodhana’s Description of Tribute at the Rājasūya
ततः स्थले निपतितो दुर्मना व्रीडितो नृप: । निःश्वसन् विमुखश्चापि परिचक्राम तां सभाम्
tataḥ sthale nipatito durmanā vrīḍito nṛpaḥ | niḥśvasan vimukhaścāpi paricakrāma tāṃ sabhām ||
Da stürzte der König an Ort und Stelle zu Boden. Sein Herz sank in Kummer, und Scham überwältigte ihn; das Gesicht abgewandt und lange Seufzer ausstoßend, ging er in der Versammlungshalle umher.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of public dishonour: when dignity and dharma are violated in a royal court, the immediate consequence is inner collapse—shame, grief, and withdrawal—showing how adharma in public space wounds both person and polity.
After a humiliating turn of events in the assembly, the king falls to the ground, becomes mentally distressed and ashamed, then turns away and paces around the hall, sighing heavily—signaling helplessness and the loss of composure before the court.