Shloka 60
धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः
Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue
राम॑ प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ दित्सन्तं विविध वसु । अहं धनमनन्तं हि प्रार्थये विपुलव्रत,द्विजश्रेष्ठ! तुम्हारा स्वागत है। तुम जो कुछ भी चाहते हो, मुझसे कहो।” उनके इस प्रकार पूछनेपर भरद्वाजकुमार द्रोणने नाना प्रकारके धन-रत्नोंका दान करनेकी इच्छावाले, योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ परशुरामसे कहा--“महान् व्रतका पालन करनेवाले महर्षे! मैं आपसे ऐसे धनकी याचना करता हूँ, जिसका कभी अन्त न हो”
vaiśampāyana uvāca | rāma praharatāṃ śreṣṭha ditsantaṃ vividhaṃ vasu | ahaṃ dhanam anantaṃ hi prārthaye vipulavrata dvijaśreṣṭha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Rāma, best among those who strike down foes, you who wish to bestow many kinds of wealth—O great observer of vows, foremost of Brahmins, I ask of you for wealth that has no end.” In the narrative setting, Droṇa, seeking a means to secure lasting resources and standing, approaches Paraśurāma—renowned both for martial supremacy and for generosity—to request inexhaustible wealth, raising the ethical tension between rightful need, dependence on patronage, and the proper use of gifts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethics of seeking and giving: a donor’s intention (ditsantam) and a recipient’s request (prārthaye) must align with dharma. It also hints at the moral complexity of relying on gifts for worldly security—wealth sought should ideally serve rightful duties rather than mere accumulation.
Droṇa addresses Paraśurāma with honorifics, acknowledging him as the foremost warrior and a willing giver of treasures, and asks for inexhaustible wealth. The request sets up the relationship of patron and beneficiary that will influence Droṇa’s later position and actions.