Shloka 41
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त: शकुनिना राजा दुर्योधनस्तत: । धृतराष्ट्रमिदं वाक्यमपदान्तरमत्रवीत्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! शकुनिके ऐसा कहनेपर राजा दुर्योधनने तुरंत ही धृतराष्ट्रसे इस प्रकार कहा--'राजन्! ये अक्षविद्याका मर्म जाननेवाले हैं और जूएके द्वारा पाण्डुपुत्र युधिष्ठिरकी राजलक्ष्मीका अपहरण कर लेनेका उत्साह रखते हैं; अतः इसके लिये इन्हें आज्ञा दीजिये”
vaiśampāyana uvāca evam uktaḥ śakunina rājā duryodhanas tataḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭram idaṃ vākyam apadāntaram atravīt ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When Śakuni had spoken thus, King Duryodhana at once addressed Dhṛtarāṣṭra without delay. He urged the blind monarch to grant Śakuni permission—praising him as one who knows the innermost secret of dice-play and is eager, through gambling, to strip Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Pāṇḍu, of his royal fortune. In that moment, calculated counsel and royal indulgence begin to displace dharma with expediency, preparing injustice under the guise of a lawful game.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma can begin with seemingly procedural acts—seeking royal permission and praising technical skill—when the underlying intent is dispossession and harm. Ethical failure here is not impulsive but organized: counsel, authority, and desire combine to legitimize wrongdoing.
After Śakuni proposes the dice-based scheme, Duryodhana promptly turns to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and presses him to authorize it, portraying Śakuni as an expert in dice-play who is eager to take away Yudhiṣṭhira’s royal prosperity through gambling.