Shloka 5
Saṃjaya’s Warning to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Accountability, Alliance-Shift, and the Pāṇḍava Strategic Edge
इदं जितमिदं लब्धमिति श्रुत्वा पराजितान् । द्यूतकाले महाराज स्मयसे सम कुमारवत्,महाराज! द्यूतक्रीड़ाके समय जब आप अपने पुत्रोंके मुखसे सुनते कि यह जीता, यह पाया तथा पाण्डवोंकी पराजय हो रही है, तब आप बालकोंकी तरह मुसकरा उठते थे
idaṁ jitam idaṁ labdham iti śrutvā parājitān | dyūtakāle mahārāja smayase sama kumāravat ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô grand roi, au jeu de dés, lorsque tu entendais de la bouche de tes fils : “Ceci est gagné, ceci est acquis”, et que tu voyais les Pāṇḍava vaincus, tu souriais — comme un enfant.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse censures a ruler’s childish delight in unjust gain: rejoicing at others’ defeat—especially through gambling—reveals attachment and moral blindness, undermining dharma and responsible kingship.
Sañjaya reminds Dhṛtarāṣṭra of the dice-game: as the Kauravas announced their winnings and the Pāṇḍavas’ loss, the king smiled like a child—an implicit rebuke of his complicity and partiality.