Shloka 12

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच श्यामो युवा लोहिताक्ष: सिंहस्कन्धो महाभुज: । नकुलो ग्लह एवैको विद्धयेतन्मम तद्धनम्‌,युधिष्ठिर बोले--श्यामवर्ण, तरुण, लाल नेत्रों और सिंहके समान कंधोंवाले महाबाहु नकुलको ही इस समय मैं दाँवपर रखता हूँ, इन्हींको मेरे दाँवका धन समझो

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca śyāmo yuvā lohitākṣaḥ siṃhaskandho mahābhujaḥ | nakulo glaha evaiko viddhy etan mama tad dhanam ||

Translation

యుధిష్ఠిరుడు అన్నాడు—శ్యామవర్ణుడు, యౌవనవంతుడు, ఎర్రని కళ్లవాడు, సింహస్కంధుడు, మహాబాహువు అయిన నకులుడినే ఈ పందెంలో నేను పెట్టుతున్నాను. అతడినే నా పణధనమని తెలుసుకో.

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

श्यामःdark-complexioned

युवाyoung

लोहिताक्षःred-eyed

सिंहस्कन्धःlion-shouldered

महाभुजःmighty-armed

नकुलःNakula

ग्रहःstake; wager (the thing taken/put down)

एवindeed; just

एकःalone; one

विध्येI stake; I put down (as wager)

एतत्this (one/this person)

ममmy; of me

तत्that

धनम्wealth; stake-wealth

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Nakula

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical collapse that gambling can trigger: even a dharma-minded king, under the grip of the wager, begins to treat persons as property. It implicitly warns that addiction and misplaced honor can override discernment and duty toward family.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Kaurava-arranged dice match in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira declares that he is staking Nakula. He identifies Nakula with vivid physical epithets and presents him as the ‘wealth’ being put up in the game.