Shloka 20
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti
Chapter 50
आवर्जिता इवाभान्ति नीपाश्रित्रककौकुरा: । कारस्कारा लोहजड्घा युधिष्विरनिवेशने,नीप, चित्रक, कुकुर, कारस्कर तथा लोहजंघ आदि क्षत्रियनरेश युधिष्ठिरके घरमें सेवकोंकी भाँति सेवा करते हुए शोभा पा रहे थे
āvarjitā ivābhānti nīpāśritra-kakūkurāḥ | kāraskārā lohajaṅghā yudhiṣṭhirāniveśane ||
Duryodhana said: “It is as though they have been drawn in and subdued—Nīpa, Citraka, Kukura, Kāraṣkara, and Loha-jaṅgha—now appearing in Yudhiṣṭhira’s residence like attendants.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how visible prosperity and the gathering of allies can provoke jealousy and resentment in a rival. Ethically, it warns that envy distorts perception: what may be legitimate honor or alliance-building is interpreted as humiliating domination, becoming fuel for adharma-driven conflict.
In the context of Yudhiṣṭhira’s rising imperial stature, several named Kṣatriya rulers are seen at his residence in a manner resembling service or attendance. Duryodhana remarks on this scene, implicitly contrasting their former independence with their present deference, and his reaction signals the intensifying hostility toward the Pāṇḍavas.