Shloka 16
अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः
Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode
दुर्योधनेन पृथिवी क्षयिता वित्तकारणात् । कोशश्चापि विशीर्णोडसौ धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्मते:
duryodhanena pṛthivī kṣayitā vittakāraṇāt | kośaś cāpi viśīrṇo 'sau dhārtarāṣṭrasya durmateḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Por causa da riqueza, Duryodhana levou a terra à ruína; e, no entanto, longe de obter tesouros, o próprio erário daquele filho de Dhṛtarāṣṭra, de mente perversa, ficou despedaçado e vazio. Assim, a cobiça que destrói os outros acaba por destruir o cobiçoso.”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.