Shloka 38
अक्षविजय-प्रसङ्गः
Escalation of Wagers and Shakuni’s Repeated Declarations of Victory
सुखोषितास्ते रजनीं प्रात: सर्वे कृताह्िका: । सभां रम्यां प्रविविशु: कितवैरभिनन्दिता:
sukhoṣitās te rajanīṁ prātaḥ sarve kṛtāhnikāḥ | sabhāṁ ramyāṁ praviviśuḥ kitavair abhinanditāḥ ||
Après avoir passé la nuit dans le confort, à l’aube ils accomplirent tous les rites du matin. Puis ils entrèrent dans la splendide salle d’assemblée, accueillis et applaudis par les joueurs—signe de mauvais augure montrant que la bienséance rituelle peut cohabiter avec le péril moral dès qu’on franchit le seuil d’un lieu fait pour la tromperie.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
External correctness—comfort, orderly routine, and completed rites—does not guarantee ethical safety; one must also discern the moral nature of the setting and company, especially when invited into spaces structured around vice such as gambling.
After a comfortable night, the group completes morning observances and proceeds into the splendid royal assembly hall, where they are greeted by gamblers—foreshadowing the impending dice-play and its disastrous consequences.