Shloka 4
सभा-पर्व, अध्याय 56: विदुरस्य द्यूत-निन्दा
Vidura’s Censure of Dicing and Warning to the Kurus
अक्षाणां हृदयं मे ज्यां रथं विद्धि ममास्तरम्,पासोंका जो हृदय (मर्म) है, उसीको मेरे धनुषकी प्रत्यंचा समझो और जहाँसे पासे फेंके जाते हैं, वह स्थान ही मेरा रथ है
akṣāṇāṃ hṛdayaṃ me jyāṃ rathaṃ viddhi mamāstaram | pāsaḥ (pāśāḥ) kṣepasthānaṃ ca mama rathaḥ ||
Duryodhana sprach: „Wisse: Das eigentliche Herz (der wunde Punkt) der Würfel ist die Sehne meines Bogens, und der Ort, von dem aus man sie wirft, ist mein Streitwagen.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma can masquerade as heroism: Duryodhana glorifies gambling as if it were righteous warfare, exposing moral blindness—valuing victory and domination over fairness, restraint, and dharma.
In the context of the dice-game episode, Duryodhana speaks with swagger, describing the mechanics of dice as his weapons and vehicle—signaling his confidence in winning through the gambling arena rather than through honorable means.