Shloka 19

Adhyāya 48 — Duryodhana’s Account of Tribute and the Provisioned Court (सभा पर्व, अध्याय ४८)

Devanagari script

शकुनिरुवाच द्यूतप्रियश्न॒ कौन्तेयो न स जानाति देवितुम्‌ । समाहूतश्न राजेन्द्रो न शक्ष्यति निवर्तितुम्‌,शकुनि बोला--राजन्‌! कुन्तीनन्दन युधिष्ठिरको जुएका खेल बहुत प्रिय है, किंतु वे उसे खेलना नहीं जानते। यदि महाराज युधिष्ठिरको द्यूतक्रीड़ाके लिये बुलाया जाय तो वे पीछे नहीं हट सकेंगे

Transliteration

śakunir uvāca: dyūtapriyaḥ kaunteyo na sa jānāti devitum | samāhūtaś ca rājendro na śakṣyati nivartitum ||

Translation

Śakuni berkata: “Putra Kuntī itu gemar berjudi, namun ia tidak sungguh-sungguh tahu cara bermain. Bila sang raja—wahai raja terbaik—diundang ke permainan dadu, ia takkan mampu menarik diri.”

Word by Word

शकुनिःShakuni

उवाचsaid

द्यूतप्रियःfond of gambling

कौन्तेयःthe son of Kunti (Yudhishthira)

नnot

सःhe

जानातिknows

देवितुम्to play (at dice)

समाहूतःhaving been summoned

राजेन्द्रःthe king of kings (the great king)

नnot

शक्ष्यतिwill be able

निवर्तितुम्to withdraw/turn back

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śakuni

Yudhiṣṭhira (Kaunteya)

King (rājendra—addressed as Duryodhana in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A moral weakness (addiction/attachment) combined with social obligation can be exploited by the unscrupulous; discernment and restraint are necessary even when etiquette urges acceptance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakuni advises that Yudhiṣṭhira loves dice though he lacks skill, and that if summoned to play he will feel compelled to accept and will not withdraw—setting up the Kauravas’ plan to ensnare him through gambling.