Shloka 4
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
मध्यं चैव परार्थ च सपरं चात्र पण्यताम् | एतन्मम धन राजंस्तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया,अयुत, प्रयुत, शंकु, पद्म, अर्बुद, खर्व, शंख, निखर्व, महापद्म, कोटि, मध्य, परार्ध और पर इतना धन मेरे पास है। राजन! खेलो, मैं इसीको दाँवपर रखकर तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
madhyaṃ caiva parārdhaṃ ca saparaṃ cātra paṇyatām |
etan mama dhanaṃ rājan tena dīvyāmy ahaṃ tvayā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Let the stake here be my wealth—up to the measure called ‘madhya’, ‘parārdha’, and even beyond. O King, this is my treasure; with this I will gamble with you.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment to play and status can erode discernment: even a righteous king can begin to treat immense wealth as a mere stake, signaling the ethical danger of gambling and the need for self-restraint (dama) and wise counsel.
In the dice-hall episode, Yudhiṣṭhira declares that he will stake his wealth—described through huge numerical measures—and proceed to gamble with the opposing king, marking the escalation of the wager that will lead to catastrophic loss.