Śakuni–Duryodhana-saṃvāda: Dyūta-yojanā (Śakuni and Duryodhana on Planning the Dice-Game)
मा साहसमितीदं सा सततं वाशते किल । साहसं चात्मनातीव चरन्ती नावबुध्यते
mā sāhasam itīdaṃ sā satataṃ vāśate kila | sāhasaṃ cātmanā tīva carantī nāvabudhyate ||
Người ta kể rằng nó cứ luôn miệng kêu: “Đừng liều lĩnh!” Thế nhưng, ngay khi chính nó hành động vô cùng liều lĩnh, nó vẫn chẳng tự biết.
शिशुपाल उवाच
The verse criticizes hypocrisy and lack of self-awareness: one should not merely advise others against rashness while oneself acting with even greater recklessness. Ethical speech must align with one’s conduct.
In Śiśupāla’s speech, he employs a proverbial illustration: a woman repeatedly warns ‘Do not be rash,’ yet she herself behaves rashly and does not realize it. The image functions as a rhetorical jab within his broader critique.