Shloka 36
दुर्योधनस्य बलिवर्णनम् — Duryodhana’s Description of Tribute at the Rājasūya
दैवमेव परं मन्ये पौरुषं च निरर्थकम् | दृष्टवा कुन्तीसुते शुद्धां श्रियं तामहतां तथा
daivam eva paraṁ manye pauruṣaṁ ca nirarthakam | dṛṣṭvā kuntīsute śuddhāṁ śriyaṁ tām ahatāṁ tathā ||
杜尤陀那说道：“我以为唯有天命至高无上，而人的作为尽皆徒劳。因为我在昆蒂之子尤提士提罗身上见到那纯净而不可侵夺的昌盛——一座取之不尽的福运宝藏——纵使人们百般设法削减，也无法使之衰落。”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a classic tension between daiva (fate/divine ordinance) and pauruṣa (human effort). Duryodhana, seeing Yudhiṣṭhira’s undiminished prosperity, concludes that destiny overrules personal striving—an outlook that can excuse unethical choices by shifting responsibility away from one’s own agency.
In the Sabha Parva context, Duryodhana reflects on the Pandavas’ rising fortune and Yudhiṣṭhira’s seemingly inexhaustible royal prosperity. His observation turns into a fatalistic complaint: despite opposition, Yudhiṣṭhira’s ‘pure’ śrī remains intact, leading Duryodhana to credit fate rather than merit or effort.