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

Transliteration

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

Translation

Duryodhana disse: “Se estes forem conquistados hoje, a terra será minha. Todos os reis do país, e também aquele grande salão de assembleia repleto de riquezas, ficarão sob o nosso domínio.”

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.