Dyūta-āhvāna: Śakuni’s Proposal, Vidura’s Warning, and the Summons of Yudhiṣṭhira
Sabhā-parva 51
आसनानि महाहाणि यानानि शयनानि च । मणिकाउ्चनचित्राणि गजदन्तमयानि च
āsanāni mahārhāṇi yānāni śayanāni ca | maṇikāñcanacitrāṇi gajadantamayāni ca ||
ਦੁਰਯੋਧਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਕੀਮਤੀ ਆਸਨ, ਵਾਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਯਨ ਵੀ ਸਨ—ਕੁਝ ਮਣੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਸੋਨੇ ਨਾਲ ਵਿਲੱਖਣ ਢੰਗ ਨਾਲ ਸਜੇ ਹੋਏ, ਅਤੇ ਕੁਝ ਹਾਥੀਦੰਦ ਦੇ ਬਣੇ ਹੋਏ।
दुर्योधन उवाच
Material prosperity and ceremonial grandeur are ethically neutral; their moral impact depends on the observer’s disposition. In the Rājasūya context, gifts should affirm rightful order and alliance, but Duryodhana’s fixation on opulence becomes a doorway to envy, which later drives adharma.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya-related assembly, kings bring lavish tribute. Duryodhana, observing the extraordinary wealth—precious seats, vehicles, and ivory-and-gold ornamented beds—describes these items as part of the spectacle that intensifies his resentment.