Shloka 9
शकुनिरुवाच अमुज्चत् स्थविरो यद् वो धनं पूजितमेव तत् । महाधन ग्लहं त्वेक॑ शूणु भो भरतर्षभ
śakunir uvāca: amuñcat sthaviro yad vo dhanaṃ pūjitam eva tat | mahādhana glahaṃ tv ekaṃ śṛṇu bho bharatarṣabha ||
Śakuni berkata: “Raja tua itu telah memulangkan kepada kamu harta yang sama, yang dahulu kamu hormati dan terima dengan sewajarnya. Kini, wahai banteng keturunan Bharata, dengarlah satu pertaruhan sahaja—pertaruhan dengan kekayaan yang amat besar.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a momentary restoration of wealth and honor can be used as a lure to draw a person back into a harmful practice. Ethically, it warns that apparent concessions may conceal renewed manipulation, and that self-restraint is crucial when temptation is deliberately reintroduced.
After the elder (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) has allowed the Pandavas’ wealth to be released/returned, Śakuni immediately proposes another high-stakes wager, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira as “Bharatarṣabha,” and invites him to listen to the terms—setting up the continuation of the dice episode.