Shloka 7
Adhyāya 59: Vidura’s Admonition to Duryodhana after the Summons of Draupadī (सभा पर्व)
शकुनिरुवाच यो वेत्ति संख्यां निकृती विधिज्ञ- श्रेष्टास्वखिन्न: कितवो$क्षजासु । महामतिर्यश्न जानाति द्यूतं स वै सर्व सहते प्रक्रियासु
śakunir uvāca—yo vetti saṅkhyāṃ nikṛtī vidhijñaḥ śreṣṭāsv akhinnaḥ kitavo ’kṣajāsū | mahāmatir yaś ca jānāti dyūtaṃ sa vai sarvaṃ sahate prakriyāsu ||
シャクニは言った。「真の賭博の達人とは、賽の目の落ちるところを先に見通し、規則と欺きの術を知り、賽戯において最上の相手に臨んでも心折れず、鋭い知恵で賭け事のあらゆる手順を心得る者だ。そのような者は、勝負の途上に現れるあらゆる狡猾な策を耐え抜き、さらに出し抜くことができる。」
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ‘expertise’ in gambling as mastery of prediction, procedure, and deception—highlighting how a practice rooted in trickery can masquerade as skill. In the ethical context of the Sabha, it implicitly exposes gambling as a domain where adharma (manipulation and fraud) is normalized and where the righteous can be trapped by formal rules and social pressure.
In the Kuru court during the dice-match episode, Śakuni speaks about what makes a ‘real’ dice-player—someone who anticipates outcomes, knows the rules, and can withstand or deploy deceit in the course of play. This sets the tone for the impending exploitation of Yudhiṣṭhira through a rigged and strategically manipulated game.