Shloka 15
अक्षविजय-प्रसङ्गः
Escalation of Wagers and Shakuni’s Repeated Declarations of Victory
नाहं राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रस्य शासना- न्न गन्तुमिच्छामि कवे दुरोदरम् | इष्टो हि पुत्रस्य पिता सदैव तदस्मि कर्ता विदुरात्थ मां यथा
nāhaṁ rājño dhṛtarāṣṭrasya śāsanān na gantum icchāmi kave durāodaram | iṣṭo hi putrasya pitā sadaiva tad asmi kartā vidurāttha māṁ yathā
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô sage, je ne souhaite pas me rendre au jeu de dés uniquement parce que le roi Dhṛtarāṣṭra l’ordonne. Un père est toujours cher à son fils ; c’est pourquoi j’agirai comme toi, Vidura, me l’as dit.»
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical tension between obedience to royal authority and personal moral judgment. Yudhiṣṭhira expresses reluctance to enter a ruinous dice-game simply due to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s command, while also acknowledging the powerful pull of familial bonds and the weight of Vidura’s counsel.
In the Sabha Parva context, the invitation/pressure toward the dice-game is unfolding. Yudhiṣṭhira speaks about not wanting to go on the basis of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s order alone, and he references Vidura’s words, indicating the role of counsel and family dynamics as the fateful gambling episode approaches.