Shloka 14
Rāmopākhyāna—Rāma–Sītā Origins and the Opening of Rāvaṇa’s Genealogy
सोडब्रवीत् कौरवांश्षापि पार्श्वस्थान् नृपसत्तम:,नृपश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधनने अपने पास खड़े हुए कौरवोंको सम्बोधित करके कहा--“कुरुकुलके राजकुमारो! कब ऐसा समय आयगा जब मैं समस्त पाण्डवोंको मारकर प्रचुर धनसे सम्पन्न होनेवाले उस क्रतुश्रेष्ठ राजसूयका अनुष्ठान करूँगा”
so ’bravīt kauravān api pārśvasthān nṛpasattamaḥ | “nṛpaśreṣṭha duryodhana! kadā sa kālo bhaviṣyati yad ahaṃ samastān pāṇḍavān hatvā bahudhanasampannaṃ taṃ kratūttamaṃ rājasūyaṃ kariṣyāmi” ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the best of kings addressed the Kauravas standing nearby: “O Duryodhana, foremost among rulers! When will that time come when, having slain all the Pāṇḍavas, I shall perform that supreme sacrifice—the Rājasūya—abounding in wealth?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how sacred rites like the Rājasūya become ethically corrupted when pursued through adharma—especially envy-driven violence against kin. It implicitly contrasts true royal dharma (protection and restraint) with power-seeking that treats ritual as a reward for wrongdoing.
The narrator reports a speech in which a leading king addresses the nearby Kauravas and speaks to Duryodhana, expressing a wish for the day he can kill all the Pāṇḍavas and then perform the wealthy, prestigious Rājasūya sacrifice.