Shloka 4
Adhyāya 52 (Sabhā-parva): Vidura Invites Yudhiṣṭhira to Hastināpura for the Dice Match
तद् वै पिपीलिकं नाम उद्धृतं यत् पिपीलिकै: । जातरूपं द्रोणमेयमहार्षु: पुज्जशो नृपा:
tad vai pipīlikaṃ nāma uddhṛtaṃ yat pipīlikaiḥ | jātarūpaṃ droṇam eyaṃ mahārṣuḥ puñjaśo nṛpāḥ ||
Duryodhana sprach: „Dies ist wahrlich das, was man ‘pipīlika’ nennt—das, was von Ameisen heraufgetragen wurde. Seht hier, o Könige, einen trogartigen Haufen Gold, in Schichten aufgetürmt—ein Wunder, hervorgebracht durch die Macht des großen Weisen.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary displays of wealth and marvels can captivate the mind and become fuel for pride or envy. Ethically, it points to the danger of letting external splendor dominate judgment, especially in a political setting where such spectacles can intensify rivalry.
In the royal assembly context, Duryodhana draws attention to a wonder: gold that has been brought up and heaped ‘by ants,’ describing it as a named marvel (‘pipīlika’) and attributing the occurrence to the power or agency of a great sage, while addressing the gathered kings.