Shloka 11
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 2 — Baladeva’s Counsel on Peace, Restitution, and Court Protocol
Devanagari script
स दीव्यमान: प्रतिदेवनेन अक्षेषु नित्यं तु पराड्मुखेषु
Transliteration
sa dīvyamānaḥ pratidevanena akṣeṣu nityaṃ tu parāṅmukheṣu
Translation
彼は賭け事に没し、賽の勝負を重ねながらも、なお常に賽から顔を背けていた—引き込まれてなお避けようとするかのように—そこには心の葛藤と、破滅を招く道義の脆さが示されている。
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दीव्यमानःplaying (gambling)
दीव्यमानः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootदिव् (दीव्यति)
Formशानच् (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रतिदेवनेनby/with gambling; by the game
प्रतिदेवनेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रतिदेवन
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
अक्षेषुin/with the dice
अक्षेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअक्ष
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
नित्यम्always
नित्यम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्य
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
पराङ्मुखेषुamong those turned away/averse
पराङ्मुखेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootपराङ्मुख
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
Speaker
बलदेव उवाच
Characters & Entities
A
akṣa (dice)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
The verse highlights the ethical danger of gambling: even when one knows it is harmful (being ‘turned away’ in conscience), repeated indulgence can overpower restraint and lead to downfall.
Baladeva describes a person characterized by continual dice-play and repeated gambling, portraying an inner contradiction—drawn into the game while simultaneously averse—setting up a critique of such conduct in a royal and moral context.