Shloka 4
Bhīṣma’s Admonition; Duryodhana’s Rājasūya Aspiration and the Proposal of a Vaiṣṇava-satra
ददर्श स तदा गाव: शतशो5थ सहस््रश: । अड्कैरल॑क्षैश्ष ता: सर्वा लक्षयामास पार्थिव:,(रहनेकी व्यवस्था ठीक हो जानेपर) राजा दुर्योधनने अपनी सैकड़ों एवं हजारों गौओंका निरीक्षण करना आरम्भ किया। उन सबपर संख्या और निशानी डलवा दी
dadārśa sa tadā gāvaḥ śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ | aṅkair alakṣyaiś ca tāḥ sarvā lakṣayāmāsa pārthivaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Entonces el rey contempló sus vacas, por cientos y por miles. Dispuso que todas fueran marcadas—con números y señales de identificación—para que pudieran reconocerse y llevarse cuenta de ellas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how rulers treat wealth as something to be controlled, counted, and claimed. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such possessiveness and pride in material assets often become seeds of adharma, intensifying rivalry and leading to harm.
The king sees vast herds of cows and begins systematically identifying them by numbering and marking. This is part of the episode where Duryodhana’s attention to his resources and status stands in contrast to the Pāṇḍavas’ hardship in exile, sharpening his antagonism.