Shloka 123
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
दुर्योधनो नाम महान् राजा राजर्षिसत्तम: | इन्द्रके समान शरीरवाले राजा दुर्जयके एक पुत्र हुआ जो अभश्विनीकुमारोंके समान कान्तिमान् था। उसका नाम था दुर्योधन। वह राजर्षियोंमें श्रेष्ठ महान् राजा था
duryodhano nāma mahān rājā rājarṣi-sattamaḥ | indrake samāna-śarīra-vāle rājā durjayake eka putra huā yo 'śvinī-kumāroṃ ke samāna kāntimān thā | usakā nāma thā duryodhanaḥ | sa rājarṣīṣu śreṣṭhaḥ mahān rājā āsīt |
Bhishma said: There was a great king named Duryodhana, foremost among royal sages. To King Durjaya—whose body was like Indra’s—was born a single son, radiant like the Aśvinī twins. His name was Duryodhana. He was a mighty king, counted as the best among royal seers—an account that highlights how outward splendor and exalted lineage can coexist with the moral tests that later define a ruler’s true worth.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage foregrounds the Mahābhārata’s ethical lens: noble birth, divine-like appearance, and public acclaim do not by themselves guarantee dharmic conduct. True greatness of a ruler is ultimately measured by choices, restraint, and adherence to dharma rather than by splendor or reputation.
Bhishma is describing a king named Duryodhana, presenting his exalted status and the circumstances of his birth: he is the sole son of King Durjaya, compared in form to Indra and in radiance to the Aśvinī twins. The narration functions as a laudatory genealogical/character introduction.