Shloka 4
Bhīmasena’s Digvijaya and Tribute Return (भीमस्य दिग्विजयः धननिवेदनं च)
विजित्य पर्वतान् सर्वान् ये च तत्र नराधिपा: । तान् वशे स्थापयित्वा स धनान्यादाय सर्वश:,फिर समस्त पर्वतों और वहाँ निवास करनेवाले राजाओंको अपने अधीन करके उन्होंने सबसे धन वसूल किये
Vijitya parvatān sarvān ye ca tatra narādhipāḥ | tān vaśe sthāpayitvā sa dhanāny ādāya sarvaśaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Setelah menakluk seluruh wilayah pergunungan dan raja-raja yang mendiami tempat itu, dia menundukkan mereka di bawah kekuasaannya, lalu mengutip harta dari mereka dari segenap penjuru—tanda perluasan kedaulatan politik melalui penaklukan dan ufti.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a common royal ethic of the epic world: sovereignty is demonstrated by conquest and the extraction of tribute (artha). It implicitly raises the moral tension between legitimate rule and coercive domination, a recurring concern in the Mahābhārata’s reflections on dharma and power.
The narrator describes a campaign in which the leader conquers mountain territories and subdues the local kings, then gathers wealth/tribute from them, consolidating authority over the region.