Shloka 8

Śānti-parva Adhyāya 44 — Post-War Reassignment of Residences and Restorative Consolation (शान्तिपर्व अध्याय ४४)

Devanagari script

यथा दुर्योधनगृहं तथा दुःशासनस्य तु । प्रासादमालासंयुक्ते हेमतोरणभूषितम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yathā duryodhanagṛhaṃ tathā duḥśāsanasya tu | prāsādamālāsaṃyukte hema-toraṇa-bhūṣitam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Just as Duryodhana’s residence was, so too was Duḥśāsana’s—adorned with rows of lofty mansions and embellished with golden archways.” The description underscores the Kauravas’ opulence and power, setting a moral contrast in the Śānti Parva between external splendor and the inner discipline that true dharma requires.

Word by Word

• {'yathā': 'just as

• in the manner that', 'duryodhana-gṛham': 'Duryodhana’s house/palace', 'tathā': 'so

• likewise', 'duḥśāsanasya': 'of Duḥśāsana', 'tu': 'indeed

• but (emphatic particle)', 'prāsāda': 'palace

• lofty building', 'mālā': 'garland

• row/series (here: a series/array)', 'saṃyukte': 'joined with

• endowed with', 'hema': 'gold', 'toraṇa': 'archway

• ornamental gateway', 'bhūṣitam': 'adorned

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duryodhana
• Duḥśāsana
• gṛha (palace/house)
• prāsāda (palace)
• toraṇa (golden archway)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights outward magnificence—palaces and golden gateways—inviting reflection typical of the Śānti Parva: material splendor and political might are not themselves dharma; ethical restraint and right conduct are the true measures of nobility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Duḥśāsana’s residence as matching Duryodhana’s in grandeur, emphasizing the Kauravas’ shared royal opulence through imagery of palace-rows and gold-decorated gateways.