Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)
जनमेजय! तदनन्तर दुर्योधनने गंगातटपर जल-विहारके लिये ऊनी और सूती कपड़ोंके विचित्र एवं विशाल गृह तैयार कराये
Janamejaya! tadanantara Duryodhanena Gaṅgā-taṭe jala-vihārāya ūṇī-sūtī-vastraiḥ vicitraṃ ca viśālaṃ ca gṛhaṃ nirmāpayām āsa.
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh Janamejaya, después de esto Duryodhana mandó preparar, en la ribera del Gaṅgā, un pabellón amplio y primorosamente dispuesto para los juegos de agua, provisto de variados paños de lana y de algodón».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights how indulgence and display of wealth can become tools of status and rivalry; in the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such outward splendor often precedes inner tensions—envy, competition, and the erosion of restraint (dama).
After a preceding event, Duryodhana arranges a large, ornate structure on the Gaṅgā’s bank for water recreation, outfitted with woollen and cotton textiles—setting the scene for courtly leisure that can also serve as a stage for comparison and contest.