Shloka 31
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti
Chapter 50
क्लिन्नवस्त्रस्य तु जले किंकरा राजनोदिता: । ददुर्वासांसि मेडन्यानि तच्च दुःखं परं मम
klinnavastrasya tu jale kiṅkarā rājanoditāḥ | dadur vāsāṃsi medanyāni tac ca duḥkhaṃ paraṃ mama ||
ทุรโยธนะกล่าวว่า “เมื่ออาภรณ์ของเราชุ่มเปียกด้วยน้ำ บรรดามหาดเล็ก—ตามพระบัญชาของพระราชา—ได้นำอาภรณ์อื่นมาให้เรา แต่ถึงกระนั้น สิ่งนั้นก็กลับเป็นเหตุแห่งความทุกข์อันใหญ่หลวงแก่เรา”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wounded pride can turn even a small, practical incident into deep suffering. Ethically, it points to the danger of ego and envy: when one’s self-image is threatened, ordinary events are interpreted as insults, feeding resentment and adharma.
Duryodhana recounts an episode in the royal hall where his clothes became wet in water; attendants, following the king’s order, provided him with replacement garments. Instead of feeling helped, he experiences the situation as humiliating and painful, revealing his inner agitation.