Texts 1-2
śrī-rājovāca
ajāta-śatros tam dṛṣṭvā
rājasūya-mahodayam
sarve mumudire brahman
nṛ-devā ye samāgatāḥ
duryodhanaṁ varjayitvā
rājānaḥ sarṣayaḥ surāḥ
iti śrutaṁ no bhagavaṁs
tatra kāraṇam ucyatām
śrī-rājā uvāca — the King (Parīkṣit) said; ajāta-śatroḥ — of Yudhiṣṭhira, whose enemy was never born; tam — that; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; rājasūya — of the Rājasūya sacrifice; mahā — great; udayam — the festiveness; sarve — all; mumudire — were delighted; brahman — O brāhmaṇa (Śukadeva); nṛ-devāḥ — the kings; ye — who; samāgatāḥ — assembled; duryodhanam — Duryodhana; varjayitvā — excepting; rājānaḥ — kings; sa — together with; ṛṣayaḥ — sages; surāḥ — and demigods; iti — thus; śrutam — heard; naḥ — by us; bhagavan — my lord; tatra — for that; kāraṇam — the reason; ucyatām — please speak.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, according to what I have heard from you, all the assembled kings, sages and demigods were delighted to see the wonderful festivities of King Ajātaśatru’s Rājasūya sacrifice, with the sole exception of Duryodhana. Please tell me why this was so, my lord.