Shloka 15
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
युधिछिर उवाच अयं धर्मान् सहदेवोडनुशास्ति लोके हास्मिन् पण्डिताख्यां गतश्न । अनर्हता राजपुत्रेण तेन दीव्याम्यहं चाप्रियवत् प्रियेण
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ayaṁ dharmān sahadevo 'nuśāsti loke hy asmin paṇḍitākhyāṁ gataś ca | anarhatā rājaputreṇa tena dīvyāmy ahaṁ cāpriyavat priyeṇa ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Dieser Sahadeva weist die Welt in den Dingen des Dharma an, und in eben dieser Welt hat er den Ruf eines Gelehrten erlangt. Und doch, obwohl jener mir teure Prinz nicht dazu taugt, als Einsatz zu dienen, setze ich ihn — als behandelte ich den Geliebten wie einen unerwünschten Gegenstand — und spiele weiter.“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a person renowned for teaching dharma can be wronged when another’s passion and loss of self-mastery take over; the verse highlights the ethical blindness of gambling—treating a beloved, worthy person as a mere stake.
During the dice match in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira acknowledges Sahadeva’s learning and worth, yet admits he is still wagering him—an act he himself recognizes as treating the dear one like an undesirable object.