Shloka 17
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
शकुनिरुवाच माद्रीपुत्रौ प्रियौ राजंस्तवेमौ विजितौ मया । गरीयांसौ तु ते मन्ये भीमसेनधनंजयौ
śakunir uvāca mādrīputrau priyau rājan tavemau vijitau mayā | garīyāṃsau tu te manye bhīmasenadhanaṃjayau ||
ຊະກຸນິ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ! ບຸດທີ່ທ່ານຮັກສອງຄົນ—ບຸດຂອງ ມາດຣີ ຄື ນະກຸລ ແລະ ສະຫະເທວ—ຂ້ອຍໄດ້ຊະນະແລ້ວ. ແຕ່ຂ້ອຍເຫັນວ່າ ພີມະເສນ ແລະ ທະນັນຈະຍະ (ອາຣຊຸນ) ມີນ້ຳໜັກແລະກຽດສັກສີຫຼາຍກວ່າສຳລັບທ່ານ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນທ່ານຈຶ່ງບໍ່ນຳເຂົາໄປວາງເປັນພະນັນ»។
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unethical persuasion exploits attachment and pride: Śakuni frames Bhīma and Arjuna as Yudhiṣṭhira’s greatest ‘honor’ to provoke further staking, showing how adharma advances by manipulating values rather than by force.
During the dice match in the royal assembly, Śakuni announces that Nakula and Sahadeva have already been won and then taunts Yudhiṣṭhira by implying he is withholding the more ‘important’ brothers—Bhīma and Arjuna—thereby pressuring him to continue the ruinous game.