Shloka 9

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच > आ/उकलक क निकृतिं समुपाश्रित: । शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभाषत

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | nikṛtiṃ samupāśritaḥ śakunir yudhiṣṭhiram abhāṣata |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als er dies hörte, nahm Śakuni erneut Zuflucht zur List und, seines Sieges gewiss, sagte er zu Yudhiṣṭhira: „Auch bei diesem Einsatz ist der Sieg mein.“

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निकृतिम्: deceit, trickery
• निकृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकृति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समुपाश्रितः: having resorted to, having taken refuge in
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-श्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• शकुनिः: Śakuni
• शकुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभाषत: spoke to, addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śakuni
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical collapse that occurs when deceit is normalized: adharma (fraudulent play) gains power not merely through skill but through a victim’s willingness to keep consenting to an unjust contest. It warns that dharma requires discernment—refusing corrupt frameworks, not only maintaining personal virtue within them.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dice-game sequence of the Sabha Parva, Śakuni—known for manipulative gambling—speaks to Yudhiṣṭhira after adopting deceitful tactics. He asserts confidence in winning again, pressing Yudhiṣṭhira toward further wagering and deepening the Pandavas’ entanglement in a rigged game.