वैशंपायन उवाच
एवम् उक्तेषु राज्ञा तु पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु ॥
दुर्योधनः परं हर्षम् आजगाम दुरात्मवान् ॥
स पुरोचनम् एकान्तम् आनीय भरतर्षभ ॥
गृहीत्वा दक्षिणे पाणौ सचिवं वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
ममेयं वसुसंपूर्णा पुरोचन वसुंधरा ॥
यथेयं मम तद्वत् ते स तां रक्षितुम् अर्हसि ॥
न हि मे कश् चिद् अन्यो ऽस्ति वैश्वासिकतरस् त्वया ॥
सहायो येन संधाय मन्त्रयेयं यथा त्वया ॥
संरक्ष तात मन्त्रं च सपत्नांश् च ममोद्धर ॥
निपुणेनाभ्युपायेन यद् ब्रवीमि तथा कुरु ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
evam ukteṣu rājñā tu pāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu ||
duryodhanaḥ paraṃ harṣam ājagāma durātmavān ||
sa purocanam ekāntam ānīya bharatarṣabha ||
gṛhītvā dakṣiṇe pāṇau sacivaṃ vākyam abravīt ||
mameyaṃ vasusaṃpūrṇā purocana vasuṃdharā ||
yatheyaṃ mama tadvat te sa tāṃ rakṣitum arhasi ||
na hi me kaś cid anyo 'sti vaiśvāsikataras tvayā ||
sahāyo yena saṃdhāya mantrayeyaṃ yathā tvayā ||
saṃrakṣa tāta mantraṃ ca sapatnāṃś ca mamoddhara ||
nipuṇenābhyupāyena yad bravīmi tathā kuru ||
Vaishampayana said: "When the king had thus entreated the great-souled Pandavas, the evil-minded Duryodhana was filled with the utmost joy. Leading Purochana aside to a private place, O bull of the Bharatas, and taking his counselor by the right hand, he spoke." Duryodhana said: "This earth of mine, full of riches, O Purochana, is mine as it is yours — you must guard it, and this secret. For I have no other ally more trusted than you, with whom I might take counsel. Guard this design, dear one, and root out my rivals by a skillful means; do just as I say."
82a3ae529342 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:03:08 PM UTC
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Here the blackest of crimes is taking shape — a plot to kill one's own kin by deceit. It is telling that Duryodhana buys his accomplice with promises of wealth and trust: evil recruits its instruments through flattery and gain. Here we see how the lust for power descends into the very depths of adharma: no longer mere rivalry or intrigue, but the cold-blooded murder of his cousins and their mother is what he now plots. Telling too is the phrase "root out my rivals" (sapatnān uddhara): envy, unappeased by anything, has ripened into a thirst for annihilation. Thus scripture reveals to what extreme unforgiven envy can lead: from a childhood grievance at the well to a conspiracy to burn sleeping kinsmen alive.