Shloka 4
Rāmopākhyāna—Rāma–Sītā Origins and the Opening of Rāvaṇa’s Genealogy
नैव तस्य क्रतोरेष कलामहति षोडशीम् । एवं तत्राब्रुवन् केचिद् वातिकास्तं जनेश्वरम्,कुछ अन्य वायुरोगग्रस्त लोग राजा दुर्योधनसे इस प्रकार कहने लगे--“यह यज्ञ तो युधिष्ठिरके यज्ञकी सोलहवीं कलाके बराबर भी नहीं है”
naiva tasya krator eṣā kalā mahati ṣoḍaśīm | evaṃ tatrābruvan kecid vātikās taṃ janeśvaram ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Some men afflicted with wind-disorder (vāta) spoke there to that lord of men, saying, “This sacrifice of his does not even equal the great sixteenth part of Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrifice.” In their words lies a pointed moral contrast: they measure royal merit not by display alone, but by the true stature of dharma and the worthiness of the performer.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
External grandeur is not the true measure of a sacrifice; its worth is judged by the performer’s dharma, intention, and moral stature. The verse highlights how rivalry and pride invite ethical scrutiny and unfavorable comparison.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, some vāta-afflicted men address the king (understood here as Duryodhana) and belittle his sacrifice, declaring it not even a sixteenth part of Yudhiṣṭhira’s. Their remark intensifies the theme of competitive kingship and the contrast between the Pāṇḍavas’ and Kauravas’ standing.