Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 2 — Baladeva’s Counsel on Peace, Restitution, and Court Protocol
स दीव्यमान: प्रतिदेवनेन अक्षेषु नित्यं तु पराड्मुखेषु
sa dīvyamānaḥ pratidevanena akṣeṣu nityaṃ tu parāṅmukheṣu
เขาแม้จะหมกมุ่นอยู่กับการเล่นสกาและเล่นซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า ก็ยังดูประหนึ่งหันหน้าหนีจากลูกเต๋าอยู่เนืองนิตย์
बलदेव उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical danger of gambling: even when one knows it is harmful (being ‘turned away’ in conscience), repeated indulgence can overpower restraint and lead to downfall.
Baladeva describes a person characterized by continual dice-play and repeated gambling, portraying an inner contradiction—drawn into the game while simultaneously averse—setting up a critique of such conduct in a royal and moral context.