Adhyāya 59: Vidura’s Admonition to Duryodhana after the Summons of Draupadī (सभा पर्व)
इदं वै देवनं पापं निकृत्या कितवै: सह । धर्मेण तु जयो युद्धे तत्परं न तु देवनम्
idaṁ vai devanaṁ pāpaṁ nikṛtyā kitavaiḥ saha | dharmeṇa tu jayo yuddhe tat-paraṁ na tu devanam ||
ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର କହିଲେ—ଛଳ ସହିତ ଜୁଆରିମାନଙ୍କ ସଙ୍ଗରେ ଖେଳାଯାଉଥିବା ଏହି ଜୁଆ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ପାପ। ଧର୍ମାନୁକୂଳ ବିଜୟ ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ହିଁ ମିଳେ; ତେଣୁ କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଉଚିତ ପଥ ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ତତ୍ପରତା, ଜୁଆ ନୁହେଁ।
युधिषछिर उवाच
Gambling—especially when mixed with deceit and the company of habitual gamblers—is condemned as sinful; for a kṣatriya, righteous victory aligned with dharma is properly sought in open battle, not through dice.
In the dice-hall context of the Sabha Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira voices a moral judgment on dice-play, contrasting it with the kṣatriya ideal of winning honorably through warfare rather than through fraudulent gambling.