Shloka 20
Parīkṣit-janma-saṃkaṭa and Kuntī’s petition to Vāsudeva (परिक्षिज्जन्मसंकटं कुन्त्याः प्रार्थना च)
एतद् वित्तं तदभवद् यदुद्धप्रे युधिष्ठिर: । षोडशाष्टौ चतुर्विशत्सहस्रं भारलक्षणम्
etad vittaṃ tad abhavad yad uddhṛtaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | ṣoḍaśāṣṭau caturviṃśat-sahasraṃ bhāra-lakṣaṇam, dvaipāyanābhyanujñātaḥ puraskṛtya purohitam ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: La riqueza que Yudhiṣṭhira mandó sacar ascendía a dieciséis crores, ocho lakhs y veinticuatro mil bhāras de oro. Habiendo obtenido el permiso de Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) y poniendo al frente a su sacerdote familiar, Yudhiṣṭhira prosiguió su marcha—un acto que enmarca la prosperidad real como legítima solo cuando se reúne y se emplea bajo consejo sagrado y guía sacerdotal.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal wealth is portrayed as dharmically valid when it is gathered and used under the sanction of spiritual authority (Vyāsa) and in alignment with priestly guidance, emphasizing restraint, legitimacy, and accountability in kingship.
The narrator states the immense quantity of gold Yudhiṣṭhira had brought forth (measured in bhāras). With Vyāsa’s permission and with the royal priest placed foremost, Yudhiṣṭhira proceeds onward, marking a transition from accumulation to sanctioned action within the Aśvamedha-related events.