Shloka 9
शूद्रा विप्रोत्तमार्हाणि राड़ुकवाण्यजिनानि च,महाराज! भरुकच्छ (भड़ौंच)-निवासी शाद्र श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंके उपयोगमें आनेयोग्य रंकुमृगके चर्म तथा अन्य सब प्रकारकी भेंट-सामग्री लेकर उपस्थित हुए थे। वे अपने साथ गान्धारदेशके बहुत-से घोड़े भी लाये थे
śūdrā viprottamārhāṇi rāḍukavāṇy ajināni ca, mahārāja! bharukaccha-nivāsī śūdra-śreṣṭhā brāhmaṇopayogam āneyogyāṇi raṅkumṛga-carmāṇi tathānyāḥ sarva-prakārā bhēṭa-sāmagrīṃ gṛhītvā upasthitāḥ; te saha gāndhāra-deśasya bahūn aśvān api ānītavantaḥ.
Duryodhana said: “O great king, the foremost among the Śūdras—residents of Bharukaccha—have arrived bearing offerings fit for the best of Brahmins: antelope hides and other kinds of tribute. Along with these, they have also brought many horses from the land of Gandhāra.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political power and royal prestige are reinforced through tribute networks: communities from distant regions present valuable goods—especially items associated with Brahminical ritual life and elite status—thereby acknowledging sovereignty and participating in the kingdom’s social-religious economy.
In the royal assembly context, Duryodhana reports to the king that leading Śūdra residents of Bharukaccha have arrived with tribute—antelope hides and other offerings—and that they have also brought many horses sourced from Gandhāra, emphasizing the breadth of resources flowing toward the Kuru court.