Mahabharata 3.13.3 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 13, Shloka 3

Book 3 (Āraṇyaka-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Alliance Gathering; Arjuna’s Praise of Keśava; Draupadī’s Duḥkha-nivedana; Assurances and Vows

Devanagari script

भीष्मद्रोणी समानाय्य कृपं बाह्लीकमेव च । वैचित्रवीर्य राजानमलं द्यूतेन कौरव

Transliteration

bhīṣma-droṇī samānāyya kṛpaṃ bāhlīkam eva ca | vaicitravīrya-rājānam alaṃ dyūtena kaurava prabho |

Translation

วายุกล่าวว่า “เราจะเชิญภีษมะ โทฺรณะ กฤปะ พาหฺลีกะ และพระเจ้าธฤตราษฏระ ผู้สืบสายวิจิตรวีรยะ มาแล้วประกาศว่า ‘โอ้เจ้าแห่งกุรุวงศ์ พอเถิดกับการเล่นสกา; บุตรของท่านไม่ควรเล่นลูกเต๋า’ และในท้องพระโรงสกา เราจะชี้แจงโทษแห่งการพนันให้แจ่มชัด—โทษเหล่านั้นเองที่เป็นเหตุให้ท่านถูกพรากจากราชอาณาจักร”

Word by Word

• भीष्मद्रोणी: Bhishma and Drona
• भीष्मद्रोणी: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म + द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• समानाय्य: having summoned/assembled
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), having brought/assembled

• कृपम्: Kripa
• कृपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बाह्लीकम्: Bahlika
• बाह्लीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्लीक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वैचित्रवीर्यराजानम्: the king of Vichitravirya's line (Dhritarashtra)
• वैचित्रवीर्यराजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैचित्रवीर्य + राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अलम्: enough; (used with instr.) by/with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम्

• द्यूतेन: by gambling; with dice-play
• द्यूतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कौरवप्रभो: O lord of the Kauravas
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव + प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Bhīṣma
• Droṇa
• Kṛpa
• Bāhlīka
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Vicitravīrya
• Kaurava(s)
• dyūta (dice/gambling)
• dyūta-sabhā (dice-hall/assembly)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Gambling (dyūta) is portrayed as a destructive vice that undermines judgment, family welfare, and royal stability; a righteous counselor should restrain it and warn rulers of its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes how he would convene the Kuru elders and Dhṛtarāṣṭra and openly admonish the Kaurava leadership to stop dice-play, explaining the specific harms that previously led to the loss of the kingdom.