Shloka 23
सभा-पर्व, अध्याय ६१ — द्रौपदी-प्रश्नः, सभाधर्मः, सत्यवचन-नियमः
युद्धे जित: पराभूत: प्रीतिपूर्वमरिंदम: । एतद् राजन् मम धन तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया
yuddhe jitaḥ parābhūtaḥ prītipūrvam ariṃdamaḥ | etad rājan mama dhana tena dīvyāmy ahaṃ tvayā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Im Kampf bin ich besiegt und erniedrigt worden — und doch hat der Feind, ein Bezwinger der Feinde, mir Wohlwollen erwiesen. O König, dies ist mein Reichtum; mit eben diesem Einsatz will ich mit dir spielen.“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension: even after suffering defeat, Yudhiṣṭhira treats the opponent’s courteous conduct as a kind of ‘wealth’ and uses it to justify continuing the dice-game. It illustrates how gratitude, honor, and social expectations can be misread and turned into rationalizations for ethically harmful choices.
In the Sabha Parva dice episode, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks while engaging in the gambling match. He says he has already been defeated and humbled, yet the victorious side has behaved graciously; calling that his ‘wealth’ (stake), he declares he will continue to play against the king he addresses.