Shloka 22
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
वैशम्पायन उवाच ८ अा 408 निकृतिं समुपाश्रित: । शकुनिर्युधिष्ठटिरमभाषत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यह सुनकर कपटी शकुनिने पूर्ववत् विजयका निश्चय करके युधिष्ठिरसे कहा--“यह भी मैंने ही जीता”
vaiśampāyana uvāca | nikṛtiṃ samupāśritaḥ śakunir yudhiṣṭhiram abhāṣata |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Bersandar sepenuhnya pada tipu daya, Śakuni berbicara kepada Yudhiṣṭhira dengan keyakinan kemenangan yang diperhitungkan seperti sebelumnya, lalu mendakwa, “Yang ini pun aku yang menang.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical collapse of the dice-game: victory is pursued through nikṛti (deceit), not through fair contest. It implicitly contrasts Yudhiṣṭhira’s commitment to keeping his word in play with Śakuni’s reliance on fraud, showing how adherence to a rule-bound honor can be exploited when the opponent abandons dharma.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śakuni, relying on deceit, speaks to Yudhiṣṭhira and asserts another win. The scene continues the escalating sequence of the gambling match, where Śakuni repeatedly claims victory, tightening the pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira to accept the outcomes.