Shloka 246
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
महदैश्वर्यमिच्छन्तस्त्रिपुरं दुर्गमाश्रिता: । वे सब-के-सब मांसभक्षी और अत्यन्त अभिमानी थे। पूर्वकालमें देवताओंने उनके साथ बहुत छल-कपट किया था। अतः वे महान ऐश्वर्यकी इच्छा रखते हुए त्रिपुर-दुर्गके आश्रयमें आये थे
mahadaiśvaryam icchantas tripuraṃ durgam āśritāḥ |
Duryodhana said: “Longing for great sovereignty, they took refuge in the impregnable fortress of Tripura.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the craving for aiśvarya (dominion) can drive beings to seek safety in seemingly invincible structures; ethically, it cautions that power pursued through mere fortification and pride tends to oppose dharma and invites eventual downfall.
Duryodhana describes a group characterized by intense desire for sovereignty who, for protection and strategic advantage, withdraw into the hard-to-conquer stronghold called Tripura.