ततो भीष्मादयः सर्वे धृतराष्ट्रं जनाधिपम् ॥
ऊचुः परमम् इत्य् एवं पूजयन्तो ऽस्य तद् वचः ॥
तेषाम् अनुमतं ज्ञात्वा राजा दुर्योधनस् तदा ॥
सभावास्तूनि रम्याणि प्रदेष्टुम् उपचक्रमे ॥
ततो देशेषु देशेषु रमणीयेषु भागशः ॥
सर्वरत्नसमाकीर्णाः सभाश् चक्रुर् अनेकशः ॥
आसनानि विचित्राणि युक्तानि विविधैर् गुणैः ॥
स्त्रियो गन्धान् अलंकारान् सूक्ष्माणि वसनानि च ॥
गुणवन्त्य् अन्नपानानि भोज्यानि विविधानि च ॥
माल्यानि च सुगन्धीनि तानि राजा ददौ ततः ॥
tato bhīṣmādayaḥ sarve dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janādhipam ||
ūcuḥ paramam ity evaṃ pūjayanto 'sya tad vacaḥ ||
teṣām anumataṃ jñātvā rājā duryodhanas tadā ||
sabhāvāstūni ramyāṇi pradeṣṭum upacakrame ||
tato deśeṣu deśeṣu ramaṇīyeṣu bhāgaśaḥ ||
sarvaratnasamākīrṇāḥ sabhāś cakrur anekaśaḥ ||
āsanāni vicitrāṇi yuktāni vividhair guṇaiḥ ||
striyo gandhān alaṃkārān sūkṣmāṇi vasanāni ca ||
guṇavanty annapānāni bhojyāni vividhāni ca ||
mālyāni ca sugandhīni tāni rājā dadau tataḥ ||
Then Bhishma and all the others spoke to Dhritarashtra, lord of the people, saying "Excellent!" and thereby honoring his words. Learning of their approval, king Duryodhana then began to appoint pleasant sites for the assembly halls. Then, in delightful places throughout the land, halls strewn with every kind of jewel were built in many locations. There were wondrous seats furnished with manifold excellences, and women, fragrances, fine ornaments, delicate garments, excellent food and drink, dishes of many kinds, and fragrant garlands — all these the king provided.
79bd97639c1e · published Jul 17, 2026, 5:02:04 AM UTC
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The unanimous "Excellent!" from Bhishma and the elders, and Duryodhana's readiness to act on it, might look at first like genuine concord — yet the extravagance that follows, halls strewn with jewels and every conceivable comfort, is offered not from a changed heart but as a substitute for the one thing actually asked of him: a just and honest peace. Outward splendor lavished on Krishna's reception cannot stand in for the inward honoring of dharma that the elders truly meant; hospitality without justice is an empty vessel, however richly adorned.