Shloka 13
प्राज्ञा मेधाविनो दान्ता युवानो मृष्टकुण्डला: । पात्रीहस्ता दिवारात्रमतिथीन् भोजयन्त्युत । एतद्ू राजन् मम धन तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया,वे चतुर, बुद्धिमान, संयमी और तरुण अवस्थावाले हैं। उनके कानोंमें कुण्डल झिलमिलाते रहते हैं। वे हाथोंमें भोजनपात्र लिये दिन-रात अतिथियोंको भोजन परोसते रहते हैं। राजन्! यह मेरा धन है, जिसे दाँवपर लगाकर मैं तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ
prājñā medhāvino dāntā yuvāno mṛṣṭakuṇḍalāḥ | pātrīhastā divārātram atithīn bhojayanty uta | etad ū rājann mama dhanaṃ tena dīvyāmy ahaṃ tvayā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Wise, intelligent, and self-restrained young men—wearing bright, well-adorned earrings—stand with serving vessels in their hands and, day and night, feed guests. O King, this is my wealth; staking this, I gamble with you.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True ‘wealth’ is portrayed as dharmic capacity—disciplined people and the ongoing practice of honoring and feeding guests. The verse also warns that even virtuous resources can be endangered when one submits to unethical gambling and misplaced notions of stake and ownership.
In the dice-hall episode, Yudhiṣṭhira continues to name what he is staking. Here he declares that his ‘wealth’ consists of capable, disciplined young attendants who continually serve guests, and he offers even this as a wager against the king he is playing with.