Shloka 24
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
युधिछिर उवाच यो नो नेता युधि नः प्रणेता यथा वज्री दानवशत्रुरेक: । तिर्यक्प्रेक्षी संनत भ्रूर्महात्मा सिंहस्कन्धो यश्नू सदात्यमर्षी,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--राजन्! जो युद्धमें हमारे सेनापति और दानवशत्रु वज्रधारी इन्द्रके समान अकेले ही आगे बढ़नेवाले हैं; जो तिरछी दृष्टिसे देखते हैं, जिनकी भौंहें धनुषकी भाँति झुकी हुई हैं, जिनका हृदय विशाल और कंधे सिंहके समान हैं, जो सदा अत्यन्त अमर्षमें भरे रहते हैं, बलमें जिनकी समानता करनेवाला कोई पुरुष नहीं है, जो गदाधारियोंमें अग्रगण्य तथा अपने शत्रुओंको कुचल डालनेवाले हैं, उन्हीं राजकुमार भीमसेनको दाँवपर लगाकर मैं जूआ खेलता हूँ। यद्यपि वे इसके योग्य नहीं हैं
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yo no netā yudhi naḥ praṇetā yathā vajrī dānavāśatrur ekaḥ | tiryakprekṣī saṃnata-bhrūr mahātmā siṃha-skandho yaśnū sadātyamārṣī |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O King, he who is our leader in battle, our foremost commander—like Indra who bears the thunderbolt, the lone foe of the Dānavas—he whose glance is sidelong, whose brows are arched, whose spirit is great, whose shoulders are like a lion’s, who is ever filled with fierce indignation and cannot be matched in strength—him, Prince Bhīmasena, I stake in this game of dice, though he is not fit to be wagered.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one recognizes a deed as improper—here, wagering a person—attachment, pride, and the intoxication of play can override dharma. The verse highlights the ethical collapse that begins with treating persons as property, despite knowing it is wrong.
In the dice match, Yudhiṣṭhira continues staking ever more precious ‘possessions.’ He praises Bhīma’s heroic qualities—likening him to Indra in battle—yet still names him as a stake, underscoring the tragic momentum of the dyūta (gambling) episode.