Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Dialogue on Peace and the Refusal of Compromise
रथो वेदी ख्रुवः खड्गो गदा स्लरुक् कवचोडजिनम् | चातुर्ोत्रं च धुर्या मे शरा दर्भा हविर्यश:
ratho vedī dhruvaḥ khaḍgo gadā sruk kavacājinaṃ | cāturotraṃ ca dhuryā me śarā darbhā havir yaśaḥ ||
ドゥルヨーダナは言った。「我が戦車こそ祭壇、我が剣こそ定めの柱、我が棍棒(ガダー)こそ供物を注ぐ柄杓、我が鎧こそ鹿皮である。戦車を担う四頭の馬は四人の祭司、我が矢は聖なるダルバ草、そして我が名声こそ供物である。」
दुर्योधन उवाच
The verse shows how Duryodhana reinterprets sacred Vedic sacrifice as a metaphor for warfare, revealing an ethical inversion: ritual symbols meant for dharma are appropriated to sanctify aggression and the pursuit of fame.
In Udyoga Parva, as the conflict moves toward war, Duryodhana speaks in a defiant, self-affirming tone, describing his martial preparations as if they were components of a yajña—chariot as altar, weapons as ritual implements, and fame as the offering.