Shloka 29
Rājasūya-sambhāra: Prosperity under Rājadharma and the Initiation of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Sacrifice
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत यसभापववके अन्तर्गत विग्विजयपर्वमें भीमदिग्विजयविषयक उन्तीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
te koṭiśata-saṅkhyena kaunteyaṁ mahatā tadā | abhyavarṣan mahātmānaṁ dhanavarṣeṇa pāṇḍavam ||
Kemudian, dalam jumlah yang amat besar—dihitung hingga ratusan krore—raja-raja itu mencurahkan kepada putera Pāṇḍu yang berhati mulia, Bhīmasena, seakan-akan hujan kekayaan. Bukan sekadar ufti, mereka juga menghadiahkan barang mahal seperti kayu cendana, gaharu, pakaian, permata, mutiara, selimut, emas, perak, dan batu karang merah yang berharga, sebagai pengakuan terbuka akan kekuatannya dan kedaulatan Pāṇḍava yang sedang meningkat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how political authority in the epic world is publicly affirmed through tribute: wealth and precious goods are offered not merely as gifts but as recognition of dominance and legitimacy. It also implies an ethical dimension of kingship—power is acknowledged through orderly submission and formal offerings rather than chaotic plunder.
During Bhīma’s digvijaya (campaign of conquest/collection), various kings present him with immense quantities of wealth and luxury items—described as a ‘rain of riches’—signifying their acceptance of the Pāṇḍavas’ supremacy and their participation in the expanding political order.