Shloka 10

Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 2 — Baladeva’s Counsel on Peace, Restitution, and Court Protocol

Devanagari script

हित्वा हि कर्ण च सुयोधनं च समाह्दयद्‌ देवितुमाजमीढ: । दुरोदरास्तत्र सहस्रशो<न्ये युधिष्ठिरो यान्‌ विषहेत जेतुम्‌

Transliteration

hitvā hi karṇaṃ ca suyodhanaṃ ca samāhvayad devitum ājamīḍhaḥ | duroddarās tatra sahasraśo 'nye yudhiṣṭhiro yān viṣahet jetum ||

Translation

కర్ణుడిని, సుయోధనుడిని పక్కనబెట్టి అజమీఢవంశజుడు (యుధిష్ఠిరుడు) జూదానికి (శకునిని) సవాలు చేశాడు. అక్కడ ఇంకా వేలాది దురోధర జూదగాళ్లు ఉన్నారు—వారిని జయించడం యుధిష్ఠిరుడికైనా కష్టమే.

Word by Word

हित्वाhaving abandoned

हिindeed/for

कर्णम्Karna

चand

सुयोधनम्Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

चand

समाह्वयत्summoned/called together

देवितुम्to gamble/play at dice

अजमीढःAjamiḍha (epithet/ancestor-name; here used as a patronymic epithet)

दुरोदराःevil gamblers (lit. those with bad dice-play)

तत्रthere

सहस्रशःby the thousand; in thousands

अन्येothers

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

यान्whom/which (those whom)

विषहेतcould endure / be able

जेतुम्to conquer/defeat

Speaker

बलदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Baladeva (Balarāma)

Karna

Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

Yudhiṣṭhira

Ājamīḍha

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 danger of dice and the social power of those skilled in deceitful play: even a dharmic king like Yudhiṣṭhira can be drawn into contests where the odds are stacked by seasoned gamblers, showing how adharma can masquerade as ‘sport’ and lead to ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Balarāma comments on the situation around the dice-contest context: Yudhiṣṭhira, identified as a descendant of Ājamīḍha, is portrayed as being set against not only famous figures like Karṇa and Duryodhana but also a multitude of other hardened gamblers present, emphasizing the imbalance and peril of the challenge.