Shloka 9
Dyūta-kathā-praśnaḥ — Inquiry into the Dice-Game Calamity
दिव्यांश्ैवान्तरिक्षांश्व॒ पार्थिवांश्व पितामह । अपि चैट्यस्य पतनाच्छन्नमौत्पातिकं महत्
divyāṁś caivāntarikṣāṁś ca pārthivāṁś ca pitāmaha | api caityasya patanāc channam autpātikaṁ mahat ||
যুধিষ্ঠির বললেন—হে পিতামহ! কতক উৎপাত দিব্য, কতক অন্তরীক্ষে, আর কতক পার্থিব। আর এই চৈত্যের পতনে এক মহৎ অশুভ লক্ষণ প্রকাশ পেয়েছে—গুপ্ত হলেও তার তাৎপর্য গুরুতর।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical-political vigilance: a ruler attentive to dharma also attends to warnings—celestial, atmospheric, and earthly—treating them as prompts for reflection, restraint, and prudent action rather than complacency.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and reports categories of ominous signs, adding that the fall of a caitya (a sacred marker/shrine) has produced a major, though not immediately obvious, portent—seeking guidance on its significance.