Shloka 28

अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance

Devanagari script

निकर्तने देवने योउद्धितीय- श्छन्नोपथ: साधुदेवी मताक्ष: । यो दुर्जयो देवरथेन संख्ये स चित्रसेन: कुशलं तात वाच्य:,तात! जो धनके अपहरण और द्यूतक्रीड़ामें अद्वितीय है, छलको छिपाये रखकर अच्छी तरहसे जूआ खेलता है, पासे फेंकनेकी कलामें प्रवीण है तथा जो युद्धमें दिव्य रथारूढ़ वीरके लिये भी दुर्जय है, उस चित्रसेनसे भी कुशल-समाचार पूछना और बताना

Transliteration

nikartane devane yo ’dvitīyaś channopathaḥ sādhudevīmatākṣaḥ | yo durjayo devarathena saṅkhye sa citrasenaḥ kuśalaṃ tāta vācyaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Transmets aussi ma respectueuse demande de nouvelles du bien-être de ce Citrasena : sans égal dans l’art des dés et du jeu, qui dissimule ses stratagèmes et joue avec une adresse calculée, expert à jeter les dés ; et qui, même au combat, est difficile à vaincre, quand bien même l’on monterait un char divin. Prends de ses nouvelles et rapporte-les-moi, cher ami.»

Word by Word

निकर्तनेin stealing/robbery

देवनेin gambling

यौद्धितीयःunmatched/second to none (in fighting/contending)

छन्नोपथःone whose way is concealed (i.e., who hides his stratagem)

साधुwell, properly

देवीwith dice (lit. with the 'devi'—dice)

मताक्षःone skilled in casting dice (lit. having 'measured/known' dice-throws)

यःwho

दुर्जयःhard to conquer

देवरथेनby/with a divine chariot-warrior (or: by Devaratha)

संख्येin battle

सःhe

चित्रसेनःChitrasena

कुशलम्welfare, well-being

तातdear one/son (vocative)

वाच्यःis to be spoken/asked (should be said/asked)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Citrasena

akṣa (dice)

devaratha (divine chariot)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when describing a person skilled in morally ambiguous arts like gambling and deception, the speaker maintains disciplined speech and diplomatic propriety—inquiring after welfare rather than indulging in praise of vice. The verse highlights the tension between skill (kauśala) and ethics (dharma), and how righteous conduct often expresses itself through restraint and correct social address.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira instructs someone (addressed as ‘tāta’) to convey greetings and ask after the well-being of Citrasena, portraying him as exceptionally skilled in dice-play and also formidable in battle—so formidable that even a warrior on a divine chariot would find him hard to defeat.