Shloka 183

Rājasūyābhiṣeka-darśana: Duryodhana’s Observation of the Consecration

Devanagari script

कदलीमृगमोकानि कृष्णश्यामारुणानि च । काम्बोज: प्राहिणोत्‌ तस्मै परार्घ्यानपि कम्बलान्‌ | काम्बोजराजने काले, नीले और लाल रंगके कदलीमृगके चर्म तथा अनेक बहुमूल्य कम्बल युधिष्ठिरके लिये भेंटमें भेजे थे

Transliteration

kadalīmṛgamokāni kṛṣṇaśyāmāruṇāni ca | kāmbojaḥ prāhiṇot tasmai parārghyān api kambalān |

Translation

难敌说道：“甘波阇之王送给他（由提施提罗）黑色、深蓝与赤红色的迦陀梨兽皮，又献上极其昂贵的毯褥。”在罗阇苏耶祭的贡奉叙事中，此句凸显远方诸王以奢华贡品示忠求宠——那是政治臣服的外在标记，并非衡量内在达摩的尺度。

Word by Word

कदलीbanana(-tree) (as descriptor in compound)

मृगdeer/antelope (as descriptor in compound)

मोकानिskins/hides

कृष्णblack/dark

श्यामdark-blue/greenish-dark

अरुणानिreddish

चand

काम्बोजःthe Kamboja (king/people of Kamboja)

प्राहिणोत्sent

तस्मैto him

परार्घ्यान्very valuable/costly

अपिalso/even

कम्बलान्blankets/woollen rugs

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kāmboja (king/realm)

kadalī-mṛga hides

valuable blankets (kambala)

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?

Material splendor and costly gifts function as political signals of allegiance and status; they do not by themselves constitute dharma. The episode invites reflection on how power can be consolidated through wealth and display, and how such displays may later fuel envy and conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the accounting of tributes brought for Yudhiṣṭhira’s imperial rite, Duryodhana enumerates what various rulers sent. Here he notes that the Kāmboja ruler dispatched prized animal hides of various colors and expensive blankets as gifts.