Shloka 2
Dyūta-āhvāna: Śakuni’s Proposal, Vidura’s Warning, and the Summons of Yudhiṣṭhira
Sabhā-parva 51
नाविदं मूढमात्मानं दृष्टवाहं तदरेर्धनम् । फलतो भूमितो वापि प्रतिपद्यस्व भारत,भरतकुलभूषण! आप सच मानिये, शत्रुओंका वह वैभव देखकर मेरा मन मूढ़-सा हो गया था। मैं इस बातको न जान सका कि यह धन कितना है और किस देशसे लाया गया है
nāvidaṁ mūḍham ātmānaṁ dṛṣṭvāhaṁ tad areḥ dhanam | phalato bhūmito vāpi pratipadyasva bhārata | bharatakula-bhūṣaṇa |
Duryodhana said: “When I saw that wealth belonging to the enemy, my mind became bewildered. I could not ascertain it—whether by its fruits (its yield) or by the land (from which it came)—its true measure or source. O Bhārata, ornament of the Bharata line, understand this.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and rivalry can cloud judgment: upon seeing an opponent’s prosperity, Duryodhana admits his mind became deluded, unable to assess the wealth’s true extent or origin. Ethically, it points to the danger of letting jealousy distort perception and decision-making.
In the context of the Sabha Parva, Duryodhana reacts to the extraordinary prosperity displayed by the rival side. He confesses that the sight of the enemy’s wealth bewildered him, and he could not determine how vast it was or from what lands and produce it had been gathered, addressing a Bharata-lineage figure with an honorific.