Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच 488 अर निकृतिं समुपाश्रित: । शकुनिर्युधिष्ठटिरमभाषत,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यह सुनकर कपटी शकुनिने निश्चयपूर्वक अपनी जीत घोषित करते हुए युधिष्ठिससे कहा--'ये दाँव भी मैंने ही जीता”

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ari-nikṛtiṁ samupāśritaḥ śakunir yudhiṣṭhiram abhāṣata |

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：舍昆尼对对手施以欺诈，遂对尤提士提罗开口，以精心算计的笃定宣称自己已然得胜。

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• निकृतिम्: deceit, fraud
• निकृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकृति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समुपाश्रितः: having resorted to, having taken refuge in
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-श्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शकुनिः: Śakuni
• शकुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभाषत: spoke, addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śakuni
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A victory achieved through nikṛti (fraud) is ethically tainted: it may succeed in the moment, but it violates dharma and becomes a cause of wider ruin. The verse highlights how adharma can masquerade as ‘winning’ when power and manipulation dominate.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the dice-game episode in the royal assembly, Śakuni—using deceitful play—announces his win and speaks directly to Yudhiṣṭhira, pressing the outcome as final. It marks the tightening trap around the Pāṇḍavas through rigged gambling.