Shloka 28
दुर्योधनस्य बलिवर्णनम् — Duryodhana’s Description of Tribute at the Rājasūya
तथा हि रत्नान्यादाय विविधानि नृपा नृपम् | उपातिष्ठन्त कौन्तेयं वैश्या इव करप्रदा:,जैसे कर देनेवाले व्यापारी वैश्य नाना प्रकारके रत्नोंकी भेंट लेकर राजाकी सेवामें उपस्थित होते हैं, उसी प्रकार सब राजा अनेक प्रकारके उत्तम रत्न लेकर राजा युधिष्ठिरकी सेवामें उपस्थित हुए थे
tathā hi ratnāny ādāya vividhāni nṛpā nṛpam | upātiṣṭhanta kaunteyaṃ vaiśyā iva karapradāḥ ||
“De fato, trazendo muitas espécies de gemas preciosas, os reis apresentaram-se diante do rei—Yudhiṣṭhira, filho de Kuntī—tal como mercadores vaiśya, pagadores de tributo, se achegam a um soberano com variados bens de valor.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how visible signs of sovereignty—tribute, attendance, and offerings—signal political supremacy; ethically, it also exposes how envy can distort perception, as Duryodhana frames voluntary homage as mere tax-like submission.
Duryodhana describes the scene of many kings approaching Yudhiṣṭhira with diverse jewels, attending him in a manner comparable to merchants bringing taxes to a ruler—emphasizing Yudhiṣṭhira’s imperial stature and the grandeur of his court.