Shloka 24
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti
Chapter 50
न मे हस्त: समभवद्ू वसु तत् प्रतिगृह्नतः । अतिष्ठन्त मयि श्रान्ते गृह दूराहतं वसु,उस रत्नराशिको ग्रहण करते-करते जब मेरा हाथ थक गया, तब मेरे थक जानेपर राजालोग रत्नराशि लिये बहुत दूरतक खड़े दिखायी देने लगते थे
na me hastaḥ samabhavad vasu tat pratigṛhṇataḥ | atiṣṭhanta mayi śrānte gṛhe dūrāhataṃ vasu ||
Duryodhana said: “My hand could not keep pace with receiving that wealth. When I grew weary, people still stood there—far away in the hall—holding heaps of riches, waiting to present them.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how external prosperity can provoke inner vice: instead of appreciating abundance, Duryodhana’s mind turns toward comparison and envy, showing an ethical warning that unchecked jealousy distorts perception and leads away from dharma.
During the account of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya-related grandeur in the assembly, Duryodhana describes the flood of gifts and treasures—so many that his hand tires from receiving them, while donors still stand at a distance with more wealth to offer.