Shloka 16
जतुगृहदाहः — The Burning of the Lac House and the Pāṇḍavas’ Concealed Escape
दुर्योधन उवाच भुड्क्ष्य भोगान् मया सार्ध बन्धूनां पियकृद् भव । दुर्हदां कुरु सर्वेषां मूर्थ्नि पादमरिंदम,दुर्योधन बोला--शत्रुदमन! तुम मेरे साथ उत्तम भोग भोगो। अपने भाई-बन्धुओंका प्रिय करो और समस्त शत्रुओंके मस्तकपर पैर रखो
duryodhana uvāca | bhuṅkṣva bhogān mayā sārdhaṁ bandhūnāṁ priyakṛd bhava | dṛḍhahṛdāṁ kuru sarveṣāṁ mūrdhni pādam ariṁdama ||
Duryodhana said: “Enjoy these pleasures together with me. Become one who wins the affection of your brothers and kinsmen; and, O subduer of foes, set your foot upon the heads of all who stand firm against you.” The speech frames power and enjoyment as the goal, urging dominance over opponents and the securing of loyalty within one’s own circle—an ethically charged appeal that prioritizes victory and gratification over restraint and righteousness.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a political-ethical temptation: the promise of pleasure and status, coupled with a call to secure internal loyalty and crush opposition. In Mahābhārata’s moral landscape, such counsel often contrasts with dharma-centered restraint, warning how desire for bhoga (enjoyment) and domination can drive adharma and escalation of conflict.
Duryodhana is exhorting an addressed warrior (called ‘ariṁdama’, “subduer of foes”) to align with him: to share in royal enjoyments, win over kinsmen, and assert supremacy over steadfast opponents—an attempt to consolidate support and encourage aggressive dominance.