Shloka 9
विदुर-धृतराष्ट्रसंवादः
Vidura–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Dialogue on Rajadharma and Restitution
समाहूतः केनचिदाद्रवेति नाहं शक्तो भीमसेनापयातुम् | गाण्डीवे च संशयिते कथं नु राज्यप्राप्ति: संशयिता भवेन्न:,'भीमसेन! आओ, कहकर यदि कोई मुझे (युद्ध या द्यूतके लिये) बुलावे तो मैं पीछे नहीं हट सकता। ऐसी दशामें यदि हम गाण्डीव धनुष किसी तरह जूएमें हार गये तो हमारी राज्य-प्राप्ति संशयमें पड़ जायगी”
samāhūtaḥ kenacid ādraveti nāhaṃ śakto bhīmasenāpayātum | gāṇḍīve ca saṃśayite kathaṃ nu rājyaprāptiḥ saṃśayitā bhaven naḥ |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Bhīmasena, andai seseorang memanggilku, ‘Datang segera!’, aku tidak akan mampu menahan diri atau berundur. Dan jika dalam keadaan demikian busur Gāṇḍīva entah bagaimana tewas dalam permainan dadu, maka usaha kita merebut kembali kerajaan pun akan menjadi diragui.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethic of responding to a summons and not retreating from a challenge, while also warning that reckless entanglement (such as gambling away crucial assets like the Gāṇḍīva) can jeopardize the righteous goal of restoring kingship.
The speaker frames a scenario addressed to Bhīma: if an urgent call compels immediate action, there may be no room to withdraw; and if, amid such pressures, the Pāṇḍavas were to lose the Gāṇḍīva in a dice-game, their prospects of regaining the kingdom would become uncertain.