Shloka 1

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Restraint and the Pāṇḍavas’ Authorized Return (धृतराष्ट्र-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

ऑपन- माल बछ। अकाल पजञज्चषष्टितमो< ध्याय: युधिष्ठटिरका धन

Transliteration

śakuniḥ uvāca—bahu vittaṁ parājaiṣīḥ pāṇḍavānāṁ yudhiṣṭhira | ācakṣva vittaṁ kaunteya yadi te ’sty aparājitam ||

Translation

Śakuni nói: “Yudhiṣṭhira, ngươi đã thua mất rất nhiều của cải của các Pāṇḍava rồi. Hỡi con của Kuntī, nếu ngươi vẫn còn tài sản nào chưa đem ra đặt cược và chưa bị thua, hãy nói ra.”

Word by Word

• बहु: much (a lot of)
• बहु: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वित्तम्: wealth, money
• वित्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पराजैषीः: you have lost (were defeated)
• पराजैषीः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पराजि (धातु: जि/जय् with परा-)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha/लिट्), 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आचक्ष्व: tell, declare
• आचक्ष्व: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2, Singular, Atmanepada

• वित्तम्: wealth (stake)
• वित्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kuntī
• कौन्तेय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• ते: of you, your
• ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• अस्ति: there is
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present (लट्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अपराजितम्: unlost, not yet defeated (unwagered/unsurrendered)
• अपराजितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपराजित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakuni
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kuntī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how unethical pressure and taunting can push a person already weakened by vice (gambling) into further self-harm, showing the erosion of dharma when desire, pride, and manipulation override restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dice-hall episode, Śakuni provokes Yudhiṣṭhira by pointing out how much wealth has already been lost and demands that he name any remaining unlost stake—setting up the continuation of ruinous wagers.