Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
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śakunir uvāca—asti te vai priyā rājan glaha eko 'parājitaḥ | paṇasva kṛṣṇāṃ pāñcālīṃ tayā 'tmānaṃ punaḥ jaya ||
ຊະກຸນີ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ! ທ່ານຍັງມີຂອງພະນັນຢູ່ອັນໜຶ່ງທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ເຄີຍເສຍ—ນາງ ດຣໍປະດີ ຜູ້ເປັນທີ່ຮັກຂອງທ່ານ. ຈົ່ງພະນັນ ກຣິສນາ ແຫ່ງປານຈາລ; ໂດຍພະນັນນາງ ຈົ່ງຊະນະຕົນເອງຄືນມາອີກ».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights a moral collapse: treating a person as property to be wagered is a grave ethical violation. It shows how addiction, manipulation, and loss of self-governance can drive a ruler from dharma into adharma, with consequences that ripple through family and polity.
In the dice-hall, after Yudhiṣṭhira has already lost wealth and himself, Śakuni presses him to stake Draupadī, calling her the one remaining ‘unlost’ wager. This escalates the contest and sets the stage for Draupadī’s summons and the ensuing outrage.