Shloka 24
अक्षदेवन-प्रवर्तनम् | Commencement of the Dice Game
एतां दृष्टवा श्रियं पार्थे हरिश्वन्द्रे यथा विभो । कथं तु जीवितं श्रेयो मम पश्यसि भारत,भारत! हरिश्वन्द्रकी भाँति कुन्तीनन्दन युधिष्ठिरकी इस राजलक्ष्मीको देखकर मेरा जीवित रहना आप किस दृष्टिसे अच्छा समझते हैं?
etāṁ dṛṣṭvā śriyaṁ pārthe hariścandre yathā vibho | kathaṁ tu jīvitaṁ śreyo mama paśyasi bhārata bhārata ||
Duryodhana berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, setelah melihat kemuliaan diraja Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira) seperti Raja Hariścandra, bagaimana mungkin engkau menganggap lebih baik bagiku untuk terus hidup? Apakah nilai hidupku di hadapan kemakmuran sebesar itu?”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and wounded pride can distort judgment: instead of responding to another’s success with restraint or ethical reflection, Duryodhana treats it as an existential humiliation. It foreshadows how unchecked jealousy becomes a driver of adharma and conflict.
In the Sabha context, Duryodhana witnesses Yudhiṣṭhira’s extraordinary royal prosperity and prestige. Overwhelmed by resentment, he addresses an elder as “Bhārata,” declaring that seeing such splendor makes his own life feel pointless—an emotional outburst that signals his growing hostility toward the Pāṇḍavas.