Shloka 14

Adhyāya 48 — Duryodhana’s Account of Tribute and the Provisioned Court (सभा पर्व, अध्याय ४८)

Devanagari script

एतेषु विजितेष्वद्य भविष्यति मही मम । सर्वे च पृथिवीपाला: सभा सा च महाधना,दुर्योधनने कहा--राजन्‌! यदि तुम्हारी अनुमति हो, तो तुम्हारे और इन द्रोण आदि अन्य महारथियोंके साथ इन पाण्डवोंको ही युद्धमें जीत लूँ। इनके पराजित हो जाने-पर अभी यह सारी पृथ्वी, समस्त भूपाल और वह महाधन-सम्पन्न सभा भी हमारे अधीन हो जायगी

Transliteration

eteṣu vijiteṣv adya bhaviṣyati mahī mama | sarve ca pṛthivīpālāḥ sabhā sā ca mahādhanā ||

Translation

ਦੁਰਯੋਧਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਜੇ ਅੱਜ ਇਹ ਜਿੱਤ ਲਏ ਜਾਣ, ਤਾਂ ਧਰਤੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ; ਅਤੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਭੂਪਾਲ, ਤੇ ਉਹ ਮਹਾਧਨ ਨਾਲ ਭਰੀ ਸਭਾ ਵੀ ਸਾਡੇ ਅਧੀਨ ਆ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'eteṣu', 'definition': 'among these

• with regard to these (people)'}, {'term': 'vijiteṣu', 'definition': 'when conquered

• upon their defeat (locative absolute)'}, {'term': 'adya', 'definition': 'today

• immediately'}, {'term': 'bhaviṣyati', 'definition': 'will become

• will come to be'}, {'term': 'mahī', 'definition': 'the earth

• the kingdom/land'}, {'term': 'mama', 'definition': 'mine

• belonging to me'}, {'term': 'sarve', 'definition': 'all'}, {'term': 'pṛthivīpālāḥ', 'definition': 'protectors of the earth

• kings, rulers'}, {'term': 'sabhā', 'definition': 'assembly

• royal hall/court'}, {'term': 'sā', 'definition': 'that (feminine demonstrative)'}, {'term': 'mahādhanā', 'definition': 'very wealthy

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• the earth/kingdom (mahī)
• kings/rulers (pṛthivīpālāḥ)
• the assembly hall (sabhā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how unchecked ambition frames victory as total entitlement—land, allies, and institutions—revealing a political mindset that prioritizes domination over rightful conduct (dharma) and mutual legitimacy among rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana is asserting that if the targeted opponents are defeated that very day, sovereignty over the realm will shift to him: other kings will fall into submission and the famed, treasure-laden assembly hall will also come under his control.