Shloka 25
Adhyāya 52 (Sabhā-parva): Vidura Invites Yudhiṣṭhira to Hastināpura for the Dice Match
कृती राजा च कौरव्य शूकराणां विशाम्पते । अददाद् गजरत्नानां शतानि सुबहून्यथ,महाराज! शूकरदेशके पुण्यात्मा राजाने कई सौ गजरत्न भेंट किये
kṛtī rājā ca kauravya śūkarāṇāṃ viśāmpate | adadād gajaratnānāṃ śatāni subahūny atha, mahārāja |
Duryodhana berkata: “Wahai Kauravya, tuan rakyat sekalian! Raja yang cekap dari negeri Śūkara, wahai raja agung, mempersembahkan ratusan—bahkan amat banyak—gajah permata sebagai hadiah.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal generosity and the display of wealth (here, prized elephants) function as instruments of prestige and political influence in a courtly setting—raising questions about how power can be reinforced through material gifts.
Duryodhana is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the lavish gifts given by a king from the Śūkara region—specifically, hundreds of excellent elephants—within a broader account meant to emphasize grandeur and the scale of royal exchanges.