Shloka 17
जयद्रथ-निग्रहः — Jayadratha Restrained, Shamed, and Released
ते करान् सम्प्रयच्छन्तु सुवर्ण च कृताकृतम् । तेन ते क्रियतामद्य लाड़लं नृपसत्तम,'राजेन्द्र! आप उसीके द्वारा भगवानका यजन कीजिये और इसके सम्बन्धमें मेरी यह बात सुनिये। पृथ्वीनाथ! ये जो सब भूपाल आपको कर देते हैं, इन्हें आज्ञा दीजिये--ये लोग आपको सुवर्णके बने हुए आभूषण तथा सुवर्ण “कर' के रूपमें अर्पण करें। नृपश्रेष्ठ! उसी सुवर्णसे आप एक हल तैयार करवाइये
te karān samprayacchantu suvarṇaṃ ca kṛtākṛtam | tena te kriyatām adya lāḍalaṃ nṛpasattama ||
వారు నీకు కరములుగా స్వర్ణాన్ని సమర్పించుగాక—చేసినదైనా, చేయనిదైనా. నృపసత్తమా! ఆ స్వర్ణంతో నేడు ఒక నాగలి చేయించుము.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Tribute and wealth received by a ruler should be directed toward purposeful, dharma-consistent action. The verse emphasizes responsible kingship: resources collected from subjects or subordinate kings are to be used as instruments for a defined public/ritual aim rather than mere personal indulgence.
Vaiśampāyana reports an instruction addressed to a king: order the tributary rulers to present gold—both worked ornaments and raw bullion—and use that gold immediately to have a plough made, preparing for a specific undertaking connected with the broader episode.