Mahabharata 3.13.5 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 5
Book 3 (Āraṇyaka-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Alliance Gathering; Arjuna’s Praise of Keśava; Draupadī’s Duḥkha-nivedana; Assurances and Vows
वीरसेनसुतो यैस्तु राज्यात् प्रभ्रंशित: पुरा । अतर्कितविनाशश्ष् देवनेन विशाम्पते
vīrasenasuto yais tu rājyāt prabhraṁśitaḥ purā | atarkita-vināśaś ca devena viśāmpate ||
Wahai tuan bagi rakyat, dahulu Nala, putera Vīrasena, telah dijatuhkan dari kerajaannya kerana perjudian. Daripada permainan dadu timbul kebinasaan yang tiba-tiba dan tidak terduga—kehancuran yang bahkan akal pun tidak mampu membayangkannya.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Gambling (dice-play) can bring sudden, unimaginable ruin; a ruler should avoid such vice because it destroys sovereignty, judgment, and stability, as illustrated by Nala’s fall.
Vāyudeva addresses a king (‘lord of the people’) and cites the earlier example of Nala, son of Vīrasena, who was dethroned due to gambling, emphasizing how quickly dice can cause total collapse.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.