Shloka 19
इन्द्रप्रस्थमें जिनकी सवारीके लिये एक लाख रथ प्रस्तुत रहते थे और जिन महाराज युधिष्ठिरकी सेवामें सहस्रों महापराक्रमी राजा बैठा करते थे, जिनके भोजनालयमें नित्य एक लाख दासियाँ सोनेके पात्र हाथमें लिये दिन-रात अतिथियोंको भोजन कराया करती थीं तथा जो दाताओंमें श्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिर रोज सहसोरों स्वर्णमुद्राएँ दानमें बाँठा करते थे, वे ही धर्मराज यहाँ जूएमें कमाये हुए महान् अनर्थकारी धनसे जीवन-निर्वाह कर रहे हैं || १६-- १८ || एनं हि स्वरसम्पन्ना बहव: सूतमागधा । सायम्प्रातरुपातिष्ठन् सुमृष्टमणिकुण्डला:,इन्द्रप्रस्थमें विशुद्ध मणिमय कुण्डल धारण करनेवाले बहुत-से सूत और मागध मधुर स्वरसे संयुक्त वाणीद्वारा सायंकाल और प्रातःकाल इन महाराजकी स्तुति किया करते थे
indraprasthe yasya yātrāyai lakṣaṁ rathāḥ sadā sajjā āsan, yasya mahārājasya yudhiṣṭhirasya sevāyāṁ sahasraśo mahāparākramā rājāna upaviśanti sma, yasya bhojanālaye nityaṁ lakṣaṁ dāsyaḥ suvarṇa-pātrāṇi haste gṛhītvā divāniśam atithīn bhojayanti sma, yaś ca dātṝṇāṁ śreṣṭho yudhiṣṭhiraḥ pratidinaṁ sahasraśaḥ suvarṇa-mudrā dāne vibhajati sma—sa eva dharmarāja iha dyūte jitena mahānarthakareṇa dhanena jīvana-nirvāhaṁ karoti. enaṁ hi svara-sampannā bahavaḥ sūta-māgadhāḥ sāyaṁ prātaḥ upātiṣṭhan su-mṛṣṭa-maṇi-kuṇḍalāḥ.
Disse Vaiśampāyana: Em Indraprastha, cem mil carros estavam prontos para suas jornadas; milhares de reis de grande valor sentavam-se em serviço diante do rei Yudhiṣṭhira; em seus salões de refeição, cem mil servas, com vasos de ouro nas mãos, alimentavam os hóspedes dia e noite; e ele, o primeiro entre os doadores, distribuía diariamente milhares de moedas de ouro em caridade. E, no entanto, esse mesmo Dharmarāja agora sustenta a vida aqui com riqueza ganha no jogo—riqueza que traz grande dano e infortúnio. De fato, muitos bardos—sūtas e māgadhas—de voz doce, com brincos de joias polidas, costumavam esperá-lo de manhã e ao entardecer para cantar seus louvores.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical contrast between righteous kingship—marked by generosity, hospitality, and honored status—and the degrading aftermath of adharma-linked choices such as gambling. Even a dharmic person can be forced into dependence on harmful wealth when judgment fails, underscoring vigilance, self-control, and the long shadow of actions.
The narrator recalls Yudhiṣṭhira’s former splendor in Indraprastha—vast resources, constant service by kings, lavish feeding of guests, and daily charity—then contrasts it with his present condition in the Virāṭa episode: living in concealment and sustaining himself through wealth obtained from dice-play, while remembering how bards once praised him morning and evening.