Shloka 16

अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः

Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode

Devanagari script

दुर्योधनेन पृथिवी क्षयिता वित्तकारणात्‌ । कोशश्चापि विशीर्णोडसौ धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्मते:

Transliteration

duryodhanena pṛthivī kṣayitā vittakāraṇāt | kośaś cāpi viśīrṇo 'sau dhārtarāṣṭrasya durmateḥ ||

Translation

ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—ଧନଲୋଭରେ ଦୁର୍ଯ୍ୟୋଧନ ସମଗ୍ର ଭୂମଣ୍ଡଳର ସଂହାର କରାଇଲା; କିନ୍ତୁ ଧନ ମିଳିଲା ନାହିଁ, ଉଲ୍ଟେ ସେଇ ଦୁର୍ମତି ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରପୁତ୍ରର ନିଜ କୋଷ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭାଙ୍ଗିଚୁରି ଶୂନ୍ୟ ହୋଇଗଲା।

Word by Word

• दुर्योधनेन: by Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षयिता: destroyer / one who caused destruction
• क्षयिता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षयितृ (from √क्षि/क्षय्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वित्तकारणात्: because of wealth (as the cause)
• वित्तकारणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त-कारण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• कोशः: treasury
• कोशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• विशीर्णः: shattered, wasted, emptied
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशीर्ण (from √शॄ/शृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असौ: that (he/this man)
• असौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/असौ (pronoun)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रस्य: of Dhritarashtra's son (Duryodhana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दुर्मतेः: of the evil-minded/foolish one
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

युधिषछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Duryodhana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Pṛthivī (the earth/kingdom)
• Kośa (treasury)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Greed for wealth (lobha) leads to adharma and widespread ruin, and ultimately rebounds upon the greedy person himself—destroying even what he sought to gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the cause and outcome of the great conflict: Duryodhana’s wealth-driven ambition devastated the realm, yet he failed to secure lasting gain and ended with his own resources and power exhausted.