Shloka 15
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
युधिछिर उवाच अयं धर्मान् सहदेवोडनुशास्ति लोके हास्मिन् पण्डिताख्यां गतश्न । अनर्हता राजपुत्रेण तेन दीव्याम्यहं चाप्रियवत् प्रियेण,युधिष्ठिर बोले--ये सहदेव धर्मोंका उपदेश करते हैं। संसारमें पण्डितके रूपमें इनकी ख्याति है। मेरे प्रिय राजकुमार सहदेव यद्यपि दाँवपर लगानेके योग्य नहीं हैं, तो भी मैं अप्रिय वस्तुकी भाँति इन्हें दाँवपर रखकर खेलता हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ayaṁ dharmān sahadevo 'nuśāsti loke hy asmin paṇḍitākhyāṁ gataś ca | anarhatā rājaputreṇa tena dīvyāmy ahaṁ cāpriyavat priyeṇa ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “This Sahadeva instructs the world in matters of dharma, and in this very world he has attained the reputation of a learned man. Yet, though that prince is not fit to be staked, I—treating my beloved as though he were an unwelcome object—wager him and continue the game.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a person renowned for teaching dharma can be wronged when another’s passion and loss of self-mastery take over; the verse highlights the ethical blindness of gambling—treating a beloved, worthy person as a mere stake.
During the dice match in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira acknowledges Sahadeva’s learning and worth, yet admits he is still wagering him—an act he himself recognizes as treating the dear one like an undesirable object.