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 ||
杜尤陀那说道：“噢婆罗多！见到帕尔塔（坚战）那如哈利施旃陀罗王般的王者荣华，你怎还能认为我继续活着更好？在这等昌盛面前，我的生命又有何价值？”
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.