Shloka 30
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
शकुनिरुवाच एतत् पापिष्ठमकरोर्यदात्मानमहारय: । शिष्टे सति धने राजन् पाप आत्मपराजय:
śakunir uvāca: etat pāpiṣṭham akaror yad ātmānam ahārayaḥ | śiṣṭe sati dhane rājan pāpa ātma-parājayaḥ ||
ຊະກຸນີກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ! ເຈົ້າໄດ້ກະທຳການອັນຊົ່ວຊ້າທີ່ສຸດ ໂດຍວາງຕົນເອງເປັນພະນັນແລ້ວພ່າຍ. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ຊັບສິນຍັງເຫຼືອຢູ່ ການພ່າຍແພ້ຕົນເອງ—ການເສຍຕົນໃນການຫຼິ້ນ—ແມ່ນຄວາມຜິດອັນໜັກ.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within a flawed contest like gambling, staking one’s own person is portrayed as a severe ethical transgression; self-loss (ātma-parājaya) is condemned as worse than losing wealth, because it violates dignity, duty, and responsible kingship.
In the dice-game episode of the Sabha Parva, Śakuni comments on the moment when the king stakes himself and loses; he frames this as a grave sin, emphasizing that wealth still remained and therefore the self-wager was an especially blameworthy step.