Shloka 12
वंशवर्णनम्, अनिरुद्धविवाहः, तथा बलराम-रुक्मी द्यूतविवादः
तथेति तान् आह नृपान् रुक्मी बलसमन्वितः सभायां सह रामेण चक्रे द्यूतं च वै तदा
tatheti tān āha nṛpān rukmī balasamanvitaḥ sabhāyāṃ saha rāmeṇa cakre dyūtaṃ ca vai tadā
Rukmī said to those kings, “So be it”; and, relying on his own strength, he then arranged a game of dice in the royal assembly together with Rāma (Balarāma).
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Public choices made in pride—especially in assemblies—bind leaders to consequences and can ignite wider conflict.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: When decisions are made under peer pressure, pause and set ethical boundaries before agreeing to contests or deals.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s līlā operates through human agency; even boastful resolves unfold within the divine governance of outcomes.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
In this verse, dyūta is presented as a public, courtly contest—an arena where pride, honor, and claims to royal superiority are tested before other kings.
Parāśara narrates it as a deliberate, formal arrangement in the sabhā: Rukmī openly agrees and then initiates the match with Balarāma in front of witnesses.
Though Vishnu is not named in the line, the narrative belongs to Vishnu’s manifestation-cycle: Balarāma’s presence in the royal hall functions as divine regulation of kingship, curbing hubris and restoring dharmic order.