Shloka 7
Adhyāya 52 (Sabhā-parva): Vidura Invites Yudhiṣṭhira to Hastināpura for the Dice Match
पर्वतीया बलिं चान्यमाहृत्य प्रणता: स्थिता: । अजाततशभत्रोर्नुपतेर्द्धारि तिष्ठन्ति वारिता:
parvatīyā baliṁ cānyam āhṛtya praṇatāḥ sthitāḥ | ajātaśatror nṛpater dhāri tiṣṭhanti vāritāḥ ||
Setelah membawa upeti pegunungan dan persembahan lainnya, para raja berdiri dengan kepala tertunduk; namun di gerbang Raja Ajātaśatru, Yudhiṣṭhira, mereka ditahan—meski telah siap menyerahkannya.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward signs of sovereignty—tribute, submission, and controlled access to the king—can inflame envy and rivalry. Ethically, it points to the danger of measuring worth through status and public honor, a mindset that fuels resentment and conflict.
Duryodhana describes rulers or emissaries who have arrived with tribute and stand respectfully, but are being stopped at Yudhiṣṭhira’s gate. He uses this scene to emphasize Yudhiṣṭhira’s growing imperial stature and to express his own agitation at the spectacle of others’ submission to the Pāṇḍava king.