Shloka 4
अक्षदेवन-प्रवर्तनम् | Commencement of the Dice Game
दुर्योधन बोला--पिताजी! जो राजा आर्य
duryodhana uvāca—pitā! ye rājāna āryāḥ satyapratijñā mahāvratā vidvāṃso vaktāro vedoktānāṃ yajñānām ante ’vabhṛtha-snāna-kāriṇaḥ dhairyavantaḥ lajjāśīlā dharmātmāno yaśasvinaś ca mūrdhābhiṣiktāḥ, te sarve dharmarāja-yudhiṣṭhirasya upāsanāṃ kurvanti sma. rājabhir dakṣiṇā-dānārthaṃ yā gāvo ’nītāḥ, tāḥ sarvā mayā yatra-tatra dṛṣṭāḥ; tāsāṃ dugdha-pātrāṇi kāṃsyāni āsan; sarvā araṇyeṣu mukta-cāriṇyaḥ; saṃkhyā ca sahasraśaḥ. adya tu tatra satkṛtya svayam udyamya bhārata, abhiṣekārtham avyagrāḥ bhāṇḍam uccāvacam ūcuḥ. bāhlīka-nareśo rathaṃ ānayat suvarṇa-vibhūṣitam; sudakṣiṇaś ca tasmin rathye kāmboja-deśīyān śvetān aśvān yojayām āsa.
杜尤陀那说道：“父王啊！那些诸王——行止高贵，誓言真实，苦行宏大，博学善辩，既已完成吠陀祭祀并行终礼的阿婆婆利他浴（avabhṛtha）——坚忍、谦谨、守法、名闻遐迩，且皆依礼受灌顶为王——如今都在向法王尤提士提罗致敬。我看见诸王为作祭祀之酬礼（dakṣiṇā）而带来的牛，散落在此处彼处；挤乳之器皆为青铜，牛群在林野间自由放牧，数以千计。并且今日，噢婆罗多啊，他们自己心神安定，恭敬用力，为尤提士提罗的灌顶大典奔走，搬运各式大小器皿。巴赫利迦之王带来一乘以黄金装饰的战车，苏达克希那又以迦姆波阇之地所产白马驾之。”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how ritual merit, truthful vows, and righteous reputation draw public honor: kings who embody dharma naturally receive reverence. At the same time, it implicitly warns that witnessing another’s rightful glory can provoke envy and resentment, which becomes ethically dangerous when it overrides discernment.
Duryodhana reports to his father that many eminent kings are honoring Yudhiṣṭhira and energetically supporting his consecration. He describes the immense wealth and ritual preparations—thousands of cows for dakṣiṇā, many vessels, a gold-adorned chariot brought by the Bāhlīka king, and white Kāmboja horses yoked by Sudakṣiṇa—underscoring the grandeur that fuels his agitation.