Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तेषां दुर्योधनो राजा ससैन्यानां महात्मनाम्‌ | व्यादिदेश सवाह्यानां भक्ष्यभोज्यमनुत्तमम्‌,राजा दुर्योधन सवारियों और सैनिकोंसहित उन महामना नरेशोंको परम उत्तम भक्ष्य- भोज्य पदार्थ देता था। हाथियों, अश्वों, पैदल मनुष्यों, शिल्प-जीवियों, अन्य अनुगामियों तथा सूत, मागध और बंदीजनोंको भी राजाकी ओरसे भोजन प्राप्त होता था

Transliteration

teṣāṁ duryodhano rājā sasainyānāṁ mahātmanām | vyādideśa savāhyānāṁ bhakṣyabhojyam anuttamam ||

Translation

ان بلند ہمت بادشاہوں کے لیے جو اپنی فوجوں اور سواریوں سمیت آئے تھے، راجا دُریودھن نے بے مثال کھانے پینے کی چیزیں تقسیم کرنے کا حکم دیا۔

Word by Word

तेषाम्of them

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

राजाthe king

सhe

सैन्यानाम्of the troops

महात्मनाम्of the great-souled (ones)

व्यादिदेशordered / directed

सhe

वाह्यानाम्of the mounts/vehicles (those to be ridden/driven)

भक्ष्यभोज्यम्foods to be eaten and drunk (edibles and drinkables)

अनुत्तमम्unsurpassed, excellent

राजाthe king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Duryodhana

kings (mahātmanām nṛpāḥ implied)

armies (sainyāni)

mounts/vehicles (vāhya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a facet of rājadharma: a ruler must provide for guests, allies, and dependents. Yet in the Udyoga context, such generosity also functions as political statecraft—hospitality becomes a means to consolidate support and project power before war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Duryodhana arranges excellent food and provisions for the assembled noble kings who have arrived with their forces and mounts, indicating large-scale preparations and the mobilization of allies.