Shloka 7

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच 52: 20/4864828 निकृतिं समुपाश्रित: । शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभाषत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यह सुनकर शठताके आश्रित हुए शकुनिने अपनी ही जीत घोषित करते हुए युधिष्ठिस्से कहा--'लो, यह दाँव भी मैंने ही जीता”

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nikṛtiṃ samupāśritaḥ śakunir yudhiṣṭhiram abhāṣata—

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Resorting to deceit, Śakuni addressed Yudhiṣṭhira, proclaiming his own victory—implying that this stake too had been won by him.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

निकृतिम्deceit, fraud

समुपाश्रितःhaving resorted to, having taken refuge in

शकुनिःŚakuni

युधिष्ठिरम्Yudhiṣṭhira

अभाषतspoke (to), addressed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Śakuni

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of nikṛti (deceit): when a contest is driven by fraud, victory becomes morally empty and the victim is pushed toward further compromise. It foreshadows how adharma, once admitted into a royal setting, can rapidly erode judgment and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the dice match in the Sabha, Śakuni—acting through trickery—speaks to Yudhiṣṭhira and announces that he has won the stake again, pressing the game forward and tightening the trap around the Pāṇḍavas.