Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मध्यं चैव परार्थ च सपरं चात्र पण्यताम्‌ | एतन्मम धन राजंस्तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया,अयुत, प्रयुत, शंकु, पद्म, अर्बुद, खर्व, शंख, निखर्व, महापद्म, कोटि, मध्य, परार्ध और पर इतना धन मेरे पास है। राजन! खेलो, मैं इसीको दाँवपर रखकर तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |

madhyaṃ caiva parārdhaṃ ca saparaṃ cātra paṇyatām |

etan mama dhanaṃ rājan tena dīvyāmy ahaṃ tvayā ||

Translation

ユディシュティラは言った。「ここでの賭け金は我が財とせよ——『マディヤ』と呼ばれる量、『パラールダ』に至り、さらにその先までも。王よ、これが我が宝である。これをもって汝と勝負する。」

Word by Word

मध्यम्a hundred billion (madhya, a number-name)

चand

एवindeed/just

परार्धम्a trillion (parārdha, a number-name)

चand

सपरम्and beyond that; the next higher amount (sapara, number-name)

चand

अत्रhere

पण्यताम्let it be staked / let there be wagering

एतत्this

ममmy/of me

धनम्wealth

राजन्O king

तेनwith that/by that

दीव्यामिI play (at dice)

अहम्I

त्वयाwith you

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

rājan (the king addressed—Duryodhana in the dice-match context)

wealth/treasure (dhana)

stake/wager (paṇa)

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?

The verse highlights how attachment to play and status can erode discernment: even a righteous king can begin to treat immense wealth as a mere stake, signaling the ethical danger of gambling and the need for self-restraint (dama) and wise counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dice-hall episode, Yudhiṣṭhira declares that he will stake his wealth—described through huge numerical measures—and proceed to gamble with the opposing king, marking the escalation of the wager that will lead to catastrophic loss.