Shloka 10

Śānti-parva Adhyāya 44 — Post-War Reassignment of Residences and Restorative Consolation (शान्तिपर्व अध्याय ४४)

Devanagari script

दुर्मर्षणस्य भवन दुःशासनगृहाद्‌ वरम्‌ । कुबेरभवनप्रख्यं मणिहेमविभूषितम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | durmarṣaṇasya bhavanaṃ duḥśāsana-gṛhād varam | kubera-bhavana-prakhyaṃ maṇi-hema-vibhūṣitam |

Translation

毗舍波耶那说：杜尔玛尔沙那的府邸，竟比杜沙娑那的宅第更为华美。珠宝与黄金装点其间，辉耀如同财神俱毗罗之宫——此等奢丽之象，正显出俱卢诸子世间荣华，亦能与德行沦落并存。

Word by Word

• दुर्मर्षणस्य: of Durmarṣaṇa
• दुर्मर्षणस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मर्षण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भवनम्: mansion/house
• भवनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दुःशासन-गृहात्: from Duḥśāsana's house
• दुःशासन-गृहात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• वरम्: better/superior
• वरम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कुबेर-भवन-प्रख्यम्: resembling Kubera's palace
• कुबेर-भवन-प्रख्यम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रख्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मणि-हेम-विभूषितम्: adorned with gems and gold
• मणि-हेम-विभूषितम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूषित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Durmarṣaṇa
• Duḥśāsana
• Kubera
• mansion/palace
• jewels (maṇi)
• gold (hema)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between external grandeur and inner virtue: immense wealth and dazzling residences do not guarantee righteousness. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such splendor can even intensify pride and attachment, becoming a backdrop against which adharma is more starkly revealed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the Kaurava princes’ residences, noting that Durmarṣaṇa’s mansion surpassed even Duḥśāsana’s and resembled Kubera’s palace due to its gold-and-jewel ornamentation. It functions as a vivid scene-setting detail within the broader Shānti Parva discourse-world.