Shloka 29

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच ताम्रलोहै: परिवृता निधयो ये चतु:शता: । पज्चद्रौणिक एकैक: सुवर्णस्याहतस्य वै,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--मेरे पास ताँबे और लोहेकी चार सौ निधियाँ यानी खजानेसे भरी हुई पेटियाँ हैं। प्रत्येकमें पाँच-पाँच द्रोण विशुद्ध सोना भरा हुआ है, वह सारा सोना तपाकर शुद्ध किया हुआ है, उसकी कीमत आँकी नहीं जा सकती। भारत! यह मेरा धन है, जिसे दाँवपर रखकर मैं तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | tāmrāyasa-parivṛtā nidhayo ye catuḥśatāḥ | pañca-drauṇika ekaikaḥ suvarṇasyāhatasya vai |

Translation

Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “May apatnaraang kaban ako ng yaman, binalutan ng tanso at bakal. Sa bawat isa’y may limang droṇa ng pinadalisay na ginto—gintong tinunaw at nilinis. Ito ang aking kayamanan, O Bhārata; itinataya ko ito at nakikipagsugal sa iyo.”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

ताम्रलोहैःwith copper and iron (things)

परिवृताःenclosed/surrounded

निधयःtreasures/hoards

येwhich/that

चतुःशताःfour hundred

पञ्चद्रौणिकाःeach of five-droṇa measure

एकैकःeach one (individually)

सुवर्णस्यof gold

आहतस्यsmelted/refined (lit. struck/processed)

वैindeed

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhārata (address to a Kaurava, contextually Duryodhana)

treasure-chests (nidhis)

copper

iron

gold

droṇa (measure)

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 how attachment to wealth and the urge to gamble can eclipse discernment (viveka) and dharma. Even immense, carefully amassed riches become instruments of self-harm when placed at stake in adharma-driven play, foreshadowing the moral and social collapse that follows.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the dice match in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira declares the magnitude of his wealth—hundreds of metal-bound treasure-chests filled with refined gold—and formally offers it as his stake against the Kauravas, escalating the wager and deepening his entanglement in the game.