Shloka 5
Saṃjaya’s Warning to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Accountability, Alliance-Shift, and the Pāṇḍava Strategic Edge
इदं जितमिदं लब्धमिति श्रुत्वा पराजितान् । द्यूतकाले महाराज स्मयसे सम कुमारवत्
idaṁ jitam idaṁ labdham iti śrutvā parājitān | dyūtakāle mahārāja smayase sama kumāravat ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai raja agung, pada saat permainan dadu, apabila tuanku mendengar daripada putera-putera tuanku, ‘Ini telah dimenangi, ini telah diperoleh,’ dan melihat Pāṇḍava ditewaskan, tuanku tersenyum—seperti kanak-kanak.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse censures a ruler’s childish delight in unjust gain: rejoicing at others’ defeat—especially through gambling—reveals attachment and moral blindness, undermining dharma and responsible kingship.
Sañjaya reminds Dhṛtarāṣṭra of the dice-game: as the Kauravas announced their winnings and the Pāṇḍavas’ loss, the king smiled like a child—an implicit rebuke of his complicity and partiality.