Shloka 13
नलो हाक्षेर्निर्जित: पुष्करेण पुनर्यशो राज्यमवाप वीर्यात् । प्राप्तास्तथा पाण्डवा बाहुवीर्यात् सर्वे: समेता: परिवृत्तलोभा:
nalo hākṣer nirjitaḥ puṣkareṇa punar yaśo rājyam avāpa vīryāt | prāptās tathā pāṇḍavā bāhuvīryāt sarveḥ sametāḥ parivṛttalobhāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Raja Nala pernah ditewaskan dalam permainan dadu oleh Puṣkara; namun dengan keberaniannya sendiri baginda meraih kembali kerajaan dan kemasyhuran. Demikian juga para Pāṇḍava—bebas daripada ketamakan, bersatu dengan seluruh kaum kerabat, dan bersandar pada kekuatan lengan—akan menundukkan musuh-musuh yang angkuh di medan perang lalu merebut semula negeri mereka. Dilindungi oleh dharma, para lelaki laksana singa itu pasti akan membawa kebinasaan kepada putera-putera Dhṛtarāṣṭra.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses Nala’s recovery after a dice defeat as a moral precedent: loss caused by adharma (gambling/greed) can be overcome through personal valor and steadfast dharma. Greedlessness and righteous conduct are presented as protective forces that lead to the restoration of legitimate sovereignty.
Sañjaya, reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, predicts the Pāṇḍavas’ eventual victory. He cites the well-known story of Nala—defeated by Puṣkara in dice but later regaining kingdom and fame—to argue that the united, greed-free Pāṇḍavas will similarly reclaim their realm and destroy Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons in war.