Shloka 73
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
विषमं शकुनेश्वैव तव चैव विशाम्पते । “इस समय आपने पहलेके समान ही पुनः यह जूएका खेल आरम्भ कर दिया है। प्रजानाथ! आपका यह जूआ शकुनिके जूएसे कहीं अधिक भयंकर है
viṣamaṃ śakuneś caiva tava caiva viśāmpate |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai tuan rakyat jelata, permainan yang tuanku mainkan sekarang amat berbahaya—lebih membinasakan daripada perjudian Śakuni. Seperti dahulu, tuanku memulakan sekali lagi ‘permainan dadu’ yang merosakkan itu, mengundang bencana ke atas negeri dan ke atas rumah keturunan tuanku sendiri.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s choices can become a ‘game of dice’ with catastrophic stakes; repeating past errors—especially those rooted in greed, delusion, or attachment—invites greater ruin than even an enemy’s deceit. Ethical governance requires restraint, clear judgment, and learning from prior downfall.
Sañjaya addresses the king as ‘lord of the people’ and warns that the present course of action is dangerously misguided, likening it to restarting the infamous dice-game associated with Śakuni—implying that the king is again courting calamity through reckless decisions.