Shloka 20
युधिछिर उवाच कथं वै मद्विधो राजा स्वधर्ममनुपालयन् | आहूतो विनिवर्तेत दीव्यामि शकुने त्वया,युधिष्ठिर बोले--शकुने! स्वधर्मपालनमें संलग्न रहनेवाला मेरे-जैसा राजा जूएके लिये बुलाये जानेपर कैसे पीछे हट सकता था, अतः मैं तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kathaṃ vai madvidho rājā svadharmam anupālayan | āhūto vinivarteta dīvyāmi śakune tvayā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sagte: „O Śakuni! Wie könnte ein König wie ich—der darauf bedacht ist, sein eigenes Dharma zu wahren—zurückweichen, wenn er förmlich zum Spiel gerufen wird? Darum, Śakuni, werde ich mit dir spielen.“
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension within dharma: Yudhiṣṭhira frames acceptance of the dice-invitation as a matter of royal propriety and adherence to svadharma—responding to a formal summons and not appearing to shrink from a challenge—yet the broader narrative exposes how rigid attachment to social obligation can be exploited and lead to adharma and ruin.
In the sabhā setting, Śakuni has invited (summoned) Yudhiṣṭhira to a dice match. Yudhiṣṭhira explains that, as a king committed to his duty, he cannot withdraw once called; he therefore agrees to play with Śakuni, setting the stage for the catastrophic gambling sequence.