Shloka 24
अक्षदेवन-प्रवर्तनम् | Commencement of the Dice Game
एतां दृष्टवा श्रियं पार्थे हरिश्वन्द्रे यथा विभो । कथं तु जीवितं श्रेयो मम पश्यसि भारत
etāṁ dṛṣṭvā śriyaṁ pārthe hariścandre yathā vibho | kathaṁ tu jīvitaṁ śreyo mama paśyasi bhārata bhārata ||
Duryodhana nói: “Hỡi Bhārata, thấy vinh quang vương giả của Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira) như của vua Hariścandra, sao ngươi còn cho rằng ta sống tiếp là điều tốt hơn? Trước sự phồn thịnh ấy, mạng sống ta còn đáng kể gì?”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and wounded pride can distort judgment: instead of responding to another’s success with restraint or ethical reflection, Duryodhana treats it as an existential humiliation. It foreshadows how unchecked jealousy becomes a driver of adharma and conflict.
In the Sabha context, Duryodhana witnesses Yudhiṣṭhira’s extraordinary royal prosperity and prestige. Overwhelmed by resentment, he addresses an elder as “Bhārata,” declaring that seeing such splendor makes his own life feel pointless—an emotional outburst that signals his growing hostility toward the Pāṇḍavas.