Shloka 19
एकपाणेन वीरेण नलेन स पराजित: । स रत्नकोशनिचयै: प्राणेन पणितो5पि च,“अब हम दोनों जूआ प्रारम्भ करें, तुम अभी व्यर्थ बकवाद क्यों करते हो? हार जानेपर ऐसी बातें न कर सकोगे।” तदनन्तर पुष्कर तथा राजा नलमें एक ही दाँव लगानेकी शर्त रखकर जूएका खेल प्रारम्भ हुआ। तब वीर नलने पुष्करको हरा दिया। पुष्करने रत्न, खजाना तथा प्राणोंतककी बाजी लगा दी थी
ekapāṇena vīreṇa nalena sa parājitaḥ | sa ratnakośanicayaiḥ prāṇena paṇito 'pi ca ||
Bṛhadaśva said: With a single hand, the heroic Nala defeated him. Pushkara, stung by defeat, even staked heaps of jewels and treasure—and went so far as to wager his very life. The episode underscores how pride and reckless speech drive a person from fair contest into self-destructive gambling, while true valor is shown in mastery rather than in boastful talk.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked pride and compulsive gambling escalate loss: a person who cannot accept defeat may wager beyond reason—even life itself. The passage contrasts reckless bravado with genuine strength and self-mastery.
In Bṛhadaśva’s narration, Nala defeats Pushkara decisively (described as ‘with one hand’). Pushkara, unwilling to stop, raises the stakes to jewels, treasury, and even his life, showing the dangerous spiral of the gambling contest.