Shloka 8
Adhyāya 59: Vidura’s Admonition to Duryodhana after the Summons of Draupadī (सभा पर्व)
अक्षग्लह: सो5भिभवेत् परं न- स्तेनैव दोषो भवतीह पार्थ । दीव्यामहे पार्थिव मा विशड्कां कुरुष्य पाणं च चिरं च मा कृथा:
akṣagrahaḥ so 'bhibhavet paraṁ naḥ tenaiva doṣo bhavatīha pārtha | dīvyāmahe pārthiva mā viśaṅkāṁ kuruṣva pāṇaṁ ca ciraṁ ca mā kṛthāḥ ||
യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആ പാശവിദഗ്ധൻ തീർച്ചയായും നമ്മെ കീഴടക്കും; എന്നാൽ ഹേ പാർഥ, ഈ കാര്യത്തിലെ ദോഷം അവനുടേതായിരിക്കും. ഹേ രാജാവേ, നാം കളിക്കാം—സംശയം വെക്കരുത്; പണം വെച്ച് താമസിക്കരുത്.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral rationalization: Yudhiṣṭhira anticipates defeat by a skilled gambler yet claims the blame will lie with the deceiver. It raises an ethical tension between foreseeing harm and still consenting to an action, shifting culpability to the opponent rather than exercising restraint.
In the lead-up to the dice game in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Pārtha (Arjuna) and urges proceeding with the play. He predicts that the expert dice-player will overpower them, but he instructs the king to place the wager without suspicion and without delay.