Shloka 15
Damayantī’s Lament, Serpent-Seizure, Rescue by the Hunter, and the Curse
“राजा जैसे-जैसे पुष्करसे पराजित हो रहे हैं, वैसे-ही-वैसे जूएमें उनकी आसक्ति बढ़ती जा रही है ।। यथा च पुष्करस्याक्षा: पतन्ति वशवर्तिन: । तथा विपर्ययश्चापि नलस्याक्षेषु दृश्यते,'जैसे पुष्करके पासे उसकी इच्छाके अनुसार पड़ रहे हैं, वैसे ही नलके पासे विपरीत पड़ते देखे जा रहे हैं
yathā ca puṣkarasyākṣāḥ patanti vaśavartinaḥ | tathā viparyayaś cāpi nalasyākṣeṣu dṛśyate ||
Bṛhadaśva said: “Just as the dice fall under Puṣkara’s control, so too the opposite is seen in Nala’s throws. As the king is defeated again and again by Puṣkara, his attachment to the gambling only increases, drawing him further into ruin.”
बृहृदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of gambling: repeated loss can intensify attachment rather than produce restraint. When outcomes are manipulated or fortune turns adverse, persistence in vice accelerates downfall, warning that self-mastery (indriya-nigraha) is essential for dharmic kingship.
Bṛhadaśva describes the dice match where Puṣkara’s throws succeed as if the dice obey him, while Nala’s throws turn out contrariwise. Nala’s defeats mount, yet his fixation on the game grows, setting the stage for his further losses and calamity.