Shloka 30
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
शकुनिरुवाच एतत् पापिष्ठमकरोर्यदात्मानमहारय: । शिष्टे सति धने राजन् पाप आत्मपराजय:
śakunir uvāca: etat pāpiṣṭham akaror yad ātmānam ahārayaḥ | śiṣṭe sati dhane rājan pāpa ātma-parājayaḥ ||
શકુનિ બોલ્યો—રાજન! પોતાને જ દાવ પર મૂકી તું જે હારી ગયો, તે તું અત્યંત પાપમય કાર્ય કર્યું. ધન બાકી હોવા છતાં પોતાને હારી જવું—આ આત્મપરાજય—મહા અધર્મ છે.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within a flawed contest like gambling, staking one’s own person is portrayed as a severe ethical transgression; self-loss (ātma-parājaya) is condemned as worse than losing wealth, because it violates dignity, duty, and responsible kingship.
In the dice-game episode of the Sabha Parva, Śakuni comments on the moment when the king stakes himself and loses; he frames this as a grave sin, emphasizing that wealth still remained and therefore the self-wager was an especially blameworthy step.