Shloka 37
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
यच्चैषां द्रविणं किंचिद् या चैषा ये च पाण्डवा: । सौबलेनेह तत् सर्व धर्मेण विजितं वसु
yac caiṣāṁ draviṇaṁ kiñcid yā caiṣā ye ca pāṇḍavāḥ | saubaleneha tat sarvaṁ dharmeṇa vijitaṁ vasu ||
“他们所拥有的一切财富，这个女人（德劳帕蒂），以及这些般度五子自身——这一切都已在此被苏婆罗之子（沙昆尼）赢得，作为赌局中合乎法度的战利品。”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how the vocabulary of dharma and legality can be weaponized to legitimize wrongdoing. By calling the dice-winnings ‘dharma-based,’ Karṇa highlights a recurring Mahābhārata concern: formal rules and technicalities do not automatically equal moral righteousness, especially when coercion, deceit, and exploitation are involved.
In the Kuru assembly after the dice match, Karṇa asserts that Śakuni has ‘won’ not only the Pāṇḍavas’ wealth but also Draupadī and the Pāṇḍavas themselves, treating them as property transferred by the game. This claim supports the attempt to subject Draupadī to humiliation and to silence objections by presenting the outcome as binding and lawful.