Shloka 7

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti

Chapter 50

Devanagari script

अलं द्यूतेन गान्धारे विदुरो न प्रशंसति । न हासौ सुमहाबुद्धिरहितं नो वदिष्यति

Transliteration

alaṁ dyūtena gāndhāre viduro na praśaṁsati | na hāsau sumahābuddhir ahitaṁ no vadiṣyati ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说：“甘陀利之子啊，掷骰赌博到此为止吧；毗度罗并不称许。那位大智之人决不会劝我们做任何会招致祸害之事。”

Word by Word

• अलम्: enough; stop
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम्

• द्यूतेन: with gambling; by dice-play
• द्यूतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• गान्धारे: O Gandhāra (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धार
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विदुरः: Vidura
• विदुरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• प्रशंसति: praises; approves
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• असौ: that (person); he
• असौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (प्रातिपदिक: अदस्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहाबुद्धिः: of very great intellect
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहाबुद्धि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहितम्: harm; what is not beneficial
• अहितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नः: to us; for us
• नः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: 1st, Dative, Plural

• वदिष्यति: will say; will advise
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Future (Lrt), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Gāndhāra)
• Vidura
• Dyūta (dice-game/gambling)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise counsel grounded in dharma rejects addictive, destabilizing practices like gambling; a truly intelligent advisor (Vidura) will not recommend actions that lead to collective harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the lead-up to the dice-game episode, the narration underscores that Vidura disapproves of gambling and would not counsel the Kuru elders toward anything detrimental, implicitly warning Dhṛtarāṣṭra to stop the game.