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Shloka 9

Adhyāya 59: Vidura’s Admonition to Duryodhana after the Summons of Draupadī (सभा पर्व)

कुन्तीनन्दन! यदि पासा विपरीत पड़ जाय तो हम खिलाड़ियोंमेंसे एक पक्षको पराजित कर सकता है; अतः जय-पराजय दैवाधीन पासोंके ही आश्रित है। उसीसे पराजयरूप दोषकी प्राप्ति होती है। हारनेकी शंका तो हमें भी है, फिर भी हम खेलते हैं। अतः भूमिपाल! आप शंका न कीजिये, दाँव लगाइये, अब विलम्ब न कीजिये ।।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kuntīnandana! yadi pāśā viparītaṁ paḍa jāya to vayaṁ krīḍakānāṁ madhye ekaṁ pakṣaṁ parājitaṁ kartuṁ śaknoti; ataḥ jaya-parājayau daivādhīnau pāśānām eva āśritau staḥ | tasmād eva parājaya-rūpa-doṣaḥ prāpyate | hārasya śaṅkā tu asmākam api asti, tathāpi vayaṁ krīḍāmaḥ | ataḥ bhūmipāla! tvaṁ śaṅkāṁ mā kṛthāḥ, dāvaṁ nidhatsva, adhunā vilambaṁ mā kṛthāḥ || evam āha ayam asito devalo munisattamaḥ | imāni lokadvārāṇi yo vai bhrāmyati sarvadā ...

尤提希提罗说道:“昆蒂之子啊,若骰子落得相反,便能使赌局中一方败北;因此胜负系于天命,寄托在骰子自身。由此便生出以失败为形的过失。我们也惧怕落败,却仍要下场。故而,大地的守护者啊,莫疑——立下赌注,切勿再迟延。” 他又追忆圣贤阿悉多·提婆罗之言——那位常行于“诸世界之门”的上乘仙人曾说:赌徒之间以欺诈行赌乃是罪业;合乎法(dharma)的胜利当在战场上取得。故对刹帝利而言,战争才是更高之道,而非赌博。

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira
युधिष्ठिरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयुधिष्ठिर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect, 3, Singular
एवम्thus
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
आहsaid
आह:
TypeVerb
Rootअह्
FormPerfect, 3, Singular
अयम्this (one)
अयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
असितःAsita
असितः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअसित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
देवलःDevala
देवलः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदेवल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मुनिसत्तमःbest of sages
मुनिसत्तमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि-सत्तम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इमानिthese
इमानि:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
लोकद्वाराणिdoors/portals of the worlds
लोकद्वाराणि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootलोक-द्वार
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
भ्राम्यतिwanders/roams
भ्राम्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootभ्रम्
FormPresent, 3, Singular
सर्वदाalways
सर्वदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसर्वदा

युधिषछिर उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
K
Kuntīnandana (epithet)
A
Asita Devala
P
pāśāḥ (dice)
D
dāva (wager)

Educational Q&A

The passage contrasts chance-based gambling with dharma-based action: dice make victory and defeat hinge on fate and can lead to moral fault, while a kṣatriya’s righteous victory is properly sought in battle rather than through deceitful or chance-driven play.

In the context of the dice match, Yudhiṣṭhira urges the other party to proceed with the wager despite the risk of loss, then invokes the authority of the sage Asita Devala to frame gambling—especially when mixed with deceit—as sinful and inferior to the kṣatriya path of warfare.