Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच नैव हस्वा न महती न कृष्णा नातिरोहिणी । नीलकुज्चितकेशी च तया दीव्याम्यहं त्वया,युधिष्ठिरे कहा--जो न नाटी है न लंबी, न कृष्णवर्णा है न अधिक रक्तवर्णा तथा जिसके केश नीले और घूँघराले हैं, उस द्रौपदीको दाँवपर लगाकर मैं तुम्हारे साथ जूआ खेलता हूँ

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: naiva hrasvā na mahatī na kṛṣṇā nātirohiṇī | nīlakuñcitakeśī ca tayā dīvyāmy ahaṃ tvayā ||

Translation

由提施提罗说道：“她不矮也不高；不黝黑也不甚红润；她的发如深蓝黑色，卷曲而美。以她——德劳帕蒂——为注，我与你对赌。”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

नnot

एवindeed/just

ह्रस्वाshort (in stature)

नnot

महतीtall/large

नnot

कृष्णाdark-complexioned

नnot

अतिरोहिणीexcessively ruddy/reddish

नीलकुञ्चितकेशीshe whose hair is dark and curly

चand

तयाwith her/by her (as the stake)

दीव्यामिI gamble/play (at dice)

अहम्I

त्वयाwith you

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Draupadī

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral collapse: under the spell of gambling and competitive pride, Yudhiṣṭhira treats a person as a stake. It anticipates the larger dharma-question of whether anyone can be ‘owned’ or wagered, and how desire and addiction can override righteous judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the dice match in the royal assembly, Yudhiṣṭhira describes Draupadī’s appearance and declares that he will gamble with her as the wager, escalating the stakes and precipitating the ensuing outrage and dharma-debate.