Shloka 17
Rājasūyābhiṣeka-darśana: Duryodhana’s Observation of the Consecration
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि स्नातका गृहमेधिन:
aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi snātakā gṛhamedhinaḥ
Duryodhana berkata: “Lapan puluh lapan ribu—para penghuni rumah tangga (gṛhamedhin) yang telah menamatkan masa pelajar Veda (snātaka) dan pulang ke rumah.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights how appeals to dharma can be framed through numbers and social credentials—invoking learned householders (snātakas, gṛhamedhins) to claim legitimacy and moral weight, even within a politically charged argument.
In Duryodhana’s speech in the Sabha Parva, he enumerates large groups of respected householders who have completed Vedic education, using their sheer number and status to strengthen his position and influence the court’s perception.