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 ||
துரியோதனன் கூறினான்—மிக உயர்மதிப்புடைய ஆசனங்களும் வாகனங்களும் படுக்கைகளும் இருந்தன—சிலவை மணியும் பொன்னும் கொண்டு வண்ணமயமாக அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்டவை; சிலவை யானைத்தந்தத்தால் செய்யப்பட்டவை.
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.