Shloka 16
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Reception Plan for Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa): Gifts, Procession, and Protocol
विशेषतश्च वासार्थ सभां ग्रामे वृकस्थले । विदधे कौरवो राजा बहुरत्नां मनोरमाम्,विशेषतः वृकस्थल नामक ग्राममें निवास करनेके लिये कुरुराज दुर्योधनने जो विश्रामस्थान बनवाया था, वह बड़ा मनोरम तथा प्रचुर रत्नराशिसे सम्पन्न था
viśeṣataś ca vāsārthaṃ sabhāṃ grāme vṛkasthale | vidadhe kauravo rājā bahuratnāṃ manoramām ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : En particulier, pour y demeurer, le roi des Kaurava fit bâtir une splendide salle d’assemblée dans le village nommé Vṛkasthala, charmante à contempler et richement ornée de maints trésors et gemmes.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how rulers project authority through grand constructions and wealth. In the ethical frame of the Mahābhārata, such splendor can signal political ambition and attachment, inviting reflection on whether power is being used in service of dharma or merely for display and dominance.
Vaiśampāyana describes a specific royal arrangement: the Kaurava king (understood as Duryodhana) has a beautiful, jewel-rich hall/residence prepared at the village of Vṛkasthala, indicating organized preparations and the assertion of royal presence in the lead-up to major events.