Shloka 15
सभा-पर्व, अध्याय 56: विदुरस्य द्यूत-निन्दा
Vidura’s Censure of Dicing and Warning to the Kurus
यह जूआ हम खेलनेवालोंके लिये एक विशिष्ट स्वर्गीय सुखका द्वार है। उसके आस- पास बैठनेवाले लोगोंके लिये भी वह वैसा ही सुखद होता है। इस प्रकार इसमें पाण्डवोंको भी हमारे समान ही सुख प्राप्त होगा। अतः आप पाण्डवोंके साथ द्यूतक्रीड़ाकी व्यवस्था कीजिये ।।
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | vākyaṃ na me rocate yat tvayoktaṃ yat te priyaṃ tat kriyatāṃ narendra | paścāt tapsyase tad-upākramya vākyaṃ na hīdṛśaṃ bhāvi vaco hi dharmyam ||
Duryodhana said: “This gambling is, for those who play, a distinguished gateway to heavenly delight; and for those seated around it, it is likewise pleasing. Thus the Pāṇḍavas too will gain joy equal to ours. Therefore, arrange the dice-game with the Pāṇḍavas.” Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Son, I do not approve of the counsel you have spoken. O king, do as you yourself desire. Yet once you set this gambling in motion, you will burn with regret afterward, remembering my words—for speech of the kind that has come from your mouth cannot be called righteous or in harmony with dharma.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a ruler chooses to follow personal desire, actions that violate dharma—here, initiating the dice-game—lead to inevitable remorse; speech and counsel should be dharmya (righteous) rather than driven by passion or hostility.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra responds to the proposal to arrange a dice-game with the Pāṇḍavas. He disapproves of the idea, yet weakly permits the king to proceed as he wishes, warning that once the gambling begins the instigator will later regret it because such counsel is not in accord with dharma.