Shloka 6
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
युधिछिर उवाच गवाश्चव॑ं बहुधेनूकमसंख्येयमजाविकम् । यत् किंचिदनुपर्णाशां प्राक् सिन्धोरपि सौबल । एतन्मम धन सर्व तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया,युधिष्ठिर बोले--सुबलपुत्र! मेरे पास सिन्धु नदीके पूर्वी तटसे लेकर पर्णाशा नदीके किनारेतक जो भी बैल, घोड़े, गाय, भेड़ एवं बकरी आदि पशुधन हैं, वह असंख्य है। उनमें भी दूध देनेवाली गौओंकी संख्या अधिक है। यह सारा मेरा धन है, जिसे मैं दाँवपर रखकर तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | gavāś ca aśvān bahudhenu-kam asaṅkhyeyam ajāvikam | yat kiñcid anuparṇāśāṃ prāk sindhor api saubala | etan mama dhanaṃ sarvaṃ tena dīvyāmi ahaṃ tvayā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O son of Subala, whatever cattle and horses I possess—countless herds of goats and sheep as well—extending up to the Parṇāśā region and even east of the Sindhu: all of that is my wealth. With that entire property I stake myself in play against you.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how gambling can erode dharma: a ruler begins to treat living wealth and dependents as mere stakes, losing the restraint and protective responsibility expected of a king.
During the dice match in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira declares that he will wager all his livestock and wealth—described as vast and spread across regions—against Saubala (Śakuni), signaling an intensification of the game’s stakes.