Shloka 13
Ballava (Bhīma) Seeks Employment as Royal Cook in Virāṭa’s Court
विराट उवाच ददामि ते हन्त वरं यमिच्छसि प्रशाधि मत्स्यान् वशगो हाहं तव । प्रियाश्न धूर्ता मम देविन: सदा भवांश्व देवोपम राज्यमहति,विराट बोले--ब्रह्मन! मैं आपको वर देता हूँ; आप जो चाहें, माँग लें। समूचे मत्स्यदेशपर शासन करें। मैं आपके वशमें हूँ; क्योंकि द्यूतक्रीडामें निपुण, चतुर, चालाक मनुष्य मुझे सदा प्रिय हैं। देवोपम ब्राह्मण! आप तो राज्य पानेके योग्य हैं
virāṭa uvāca | dadāmi te hanta varaṃ yam icchasi praśādhi matsyān vaśago hy ahaṃ tava | priyāś ca dhūrtā mama devinaḥ sadā bhavāṃś ca devopama rājyam arhati ||
Virāṭa nói: “Nào, ta ban cho ngươi một ân huệ—hãy xin điều ngươi muốn. Hãy cai trị xứ Matsya. Ta ở dưới quyền ngươi, bởi ta vốn ưa những kẻ lanh trí, mưu lược, tinh thông trò xúc xắc. Hỡi brāhmaṇa tựa thần minh, ngươi xứng đáng cả ngôi vương.”
विराट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal favor can be swayed by perceived skill and cleverness—here, even traits linked to gambling and cunning are praised. Ethically, it hints at the danger of valuing shrewdness over virtue, showing how power and patronage may be offered on questionable grounds.
King Virāṭa addresses a brāhmaṇa figure at his court and offers an open-ended boon, even proposing governance over the Matsya realm. He declares himself compliant and explains that he is especially pleased by those adept and clever in the context of dicing, then flatters the addressee as worthy of kingship.