Shloka 16
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)
वैशम्पायन उवाच एतच्छुत्वा व्यवसितो निकृतिं समुपाश्रित: । जितमित्येव शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभाषत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यह सुनकर छली शकुनिने उसी निश्चयके साथ युधिष्ठिससे कहा--“'यह दाँव भी मैंने ही जीता”
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: etac chrutvā vyavasito nikṛtiṁ samupāśritaḥ | jitam ity eva Śakunir Yudhiṣṭhiram abhāṣata ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—اے جنمیجَے! یہ سن کر، فریب کا سہارا لے کر اور اپنے ارادے میں پختہ ہو کر، شکُنی نے یُدھِشٹھِر سے کہا—“یہ داؤ بھی میں ہی جیتا ہوں۔”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral contrast between outward ‘victory’ and inner legitimacy: success gained through nikṛti (fraud) is ethically tainted, and it intensifies the dharmic dilemma of accepting outcomes produced by deception.
After hearing the preceding development in the dice match, Śakuni—committed to trickery—declares to Yudhiṣṭhira that he has won the stake, asserting the result with confidence rooted in manipulation rather than fair play.