Shloka 5
Book 3 (Āraṇyaka-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Alliance Gathering; Arjuna’s Praise of Keśava; Draupadī’s Duḥkha-nivedana; Assurances and Vows
वीरसेनसुतो यैस्तु राज्यात् प्रभ्रंशित: पुरा । अतर्कितविनाशश्ष् देवनेन विशाम्पते,तथा जिन दोषोंने पूर्वकालमें वीरसेनपुत्र महाराज नलको राजसिंहासनसे च्युत किया। नरेश्वर! जूआ खेलनेसे सहसा ऐसा सर्वनाश उपस्थित हो जाता है, जो कल्पनामें भी नहीं आ सकता
vīrasenasuto yais tu rājyāt prabhraṁśitaḥ purā | atarkita-vināśaś ca devena viśāmpate ||
O lord of the people, it was by gambling that Nala, the son of Vīrasena, was formerly cast down from his kingdom. From play at dice there arises a sudden and unforeseen ruin—destruction that the mind cannot even anticipate—thereby warning a ruler against the ethical and practical peril of addiction to chance and vice.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Gambling (dice-play) can bring sudden, unimaginable ruin; a ruler should avoid such vice because it destroys sovereignty, judgment, and stability, as illustrated by Nala’s fall.
Vāyudeva addresses a king (‘lord of the people’) and cites the earlier example of Nala, son of Vīrasena, who was dethroned due to gambling, emphasizing how quickly dice can cause total collapse.