Shloka 206
सरस्वतीतीर्थानुक्रमः — बलरामस्य तीर्थयात्रा
Sarasvatī Tīrtha Itinerary — Balarāma’s Pilgrimage
कथं च स्युरिमा गाव आवाभ्यां हि विना त्रितम् । पशुओंके उस महान् समुदायको देखकर एकत और द्वितके मनमें यह चिन्ता समायी कि किस उपायसे ये गौएँ त्रितको न मिलकर हम दोनोंके ही पास रह जायँ
kathaṃ ca syur imā gāva āvābhyāṃ hi vinā tritam |
वैशम्पायन उवाच—“कथं न्विमाः गाव आवाभ्यां स्युः, त्रितं विना?” इति। तं महान्तं पशुसङ्घं दृष्ट्वा एकतद्वितयोर्मनसि लोभजं कुटिलं चिन्तनमभवत्—केन उपायेन इमा गावो न त्रितं गच्छेयुः, किं तु आवयोरेव स्युः।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse points to how greed can distort judgment: when faced with valuable shared property, Ekata and Dvita begin plotting to exclude the rightful claimant (Trita). It implicitly contrasts rightful sharing and honesty with covetous scheming, a recurring ethical concern in the Mahabharata.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Ekata and Dvita, on seeing a large herd of cows, become anxious and start thinking of a way to keep the cattle with themselves so that Trita does not obtain them.