Shloka 16

जतुगृहदाहः — The Burning of the Lac House and the Pāṇḍavas’ Concealed Escape

Devanagari script

दुर्योधन उवाच भुड्क्ष्य भोगान्‌ मया सार्ध बन्धूनां पियकृद्‌ भव । दुर्हदां कुरु सर्वेषां मूर्थ्नि पादमरिंदम,दुर्योधन बोला--शत्रुदमन! तुम मेरे साथ उत्तम भोग भोगो। अपने भाई-बन्धुओंका प्रिय करो और समस्त शत्रुओंके मस्तकपर पैर रखो

Transliteration

duryodhana uvāca | bhuṅkṣva bhogān mayā sārdhaṁ bandhūnāṁ priyakṛd bhava | dṛḍhahṛdāṁ kuru sarveṣāṁ mūrdhni pādam ariṁdama ||

Translation

杜尤陀那说道：“灭敌者啊，与我同享诸般乐事；当使兄弟宗亲皆悦服于你；并且，灭敌者啊，把你的脚踏在一切与汝为敌者的头上。”

Word by Word

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

उवाचsaid

भुङ्क्ष्वenjoy (eat/partake)

भोगान्enjoyments, pleasures

मयाwith me / by me

सार्धम्together with

बन्धूनाम्of (your) kinsmen/relatives

प्रियकृत्one who does what is pleasing (a benefactor)

भवbecome / be

दुर्हदानाम्of the ill-wishers / hostile-hearted ones

कुरुdo / make / place

सर्वेषाम्of all

मूर्ध्निon the head

पादम्foot

अरिंदमO foe-subduer

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

ariṁdama (the addressed hero, unnamed in this verse)

bandhu (kinsmen/relations)

enemies/opponents (implicit: ari, dṛḍhahṛdāḥ)

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 political-ethical temptation: the promise of pleasure and status, coupled with a call to secure internal loyalty and crush opposition. In Mahābhārata’s moral landscape, such counsel often contrasts with dharma-centered restraint, warning how desire for bhoga (enjoyment) and domination can drive adharma and escalation of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana is exhorting an addressed warrior (called ‘ariṁdama’, “subduer of foes”) to align with him: to share in royal enjoyments, win over kinsmen, and assert supremacy over steadfast opponents—an attempt to consolidate support and encourage aggressive dominance.