Shloka 13
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 72 — Bhīmasena’s counsel on conciliation and Duryodhana’s disposition
यत् त्वामुपधिना राजन दूते वज्चितवांस्तदा । न चापत्रपते तेन नृशंस: स्वेन कर्मणा,राजन! आप दानशील, कोमलस्वभाव, मन और इन्द्रियोंको वशमें रखनेवाले, स्वभावत:ः धर्मपरायण तथा सबके हैं, तो भी क्रूर दुर्योधनने उस समय पितामह भीष्म, द्रोणाचार्य, बुद्धिमान् विदुर, साधु, ब्राह्मण, राजा धृतराष्ट्र, नगरनिवासी जनसमुदाय तथा कुरुकुलके सभी श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंके देखते-देखते आपको जूएमें छलसे ठग लिया और अपने उस कुकृत्यके लिये वह अबतक लज्जाका अनुभव नहीं करता है
yat tvām upadhinā rājan dūte vañcitavāṁs tadā | na cāpatrapate tena nṛśaṁsaḥ svena karmaṇā ||
O King, when he once deceived you by a stratagem in the matter of the dice, that ruthless man has still not felt shame for his own deed. Though you are generous, gentle by nature, self-controlled in mind and senses, and innately devoted to dharma and the good of all, cruel Duryodhana, before the very eyes of grandsire Bhīṣma, Droṇa, the wise Vidura, the virtuous and the brāhmaṇas, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the citizens of the city, and all the foremost men of the Kuru line, cheated you in the gambling match—and even now he does not blush for that wrongdoing.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns adharma as deliberate deceit performed publicly without remorse. It highlights that ethical failure is not only the wrongful act (cheating) but also the absence of shame and accountability afterward, especially when committed before elders, teachers, and the community.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls the infamous dice-game where Duryodhana (through deceitful means) cheated him in full view of Kuru elders and the assembled court. He stresses that despite Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharmic character, Duryodhana’s cruelty and shamelessness persist, intensifying the moral and political crisis that leads toward war.