Shloka 43
Adhyāya 22: Śālva’s Weapon-Shower, Dāruka’s Wounding, and the Māyā-Report of Vasudeva’s Father
मय्यागते<5थवा वीर द्यूतं न भविता तथा । अद्याहं कि करिष्यामि भिन्नसेतुरिवोदकम्,राजन! यही कारण है, जिससे मैं उन दिनों हस्तिनापुरमें न आ सका। शत्रुवीरोंका नाश करनेवाले धर्मराज! मेरे आनेपर या तो जूआ नहीं होता या दुर्योधन जीवित नहीं रह पाता। जैसे बाँध टूट जानेपर पानीको कोई नहीं रोक सकता, उसी प्रकार आज जबकि सब कुछ बिगड़ चुका है, तब मैं क्या कर सकूँगा
mayy āgate 'thavā vīra dyūtaṃ na bhavitā tathā | adyāhaṃ kiṃ kariṣyāmi bhinnasetur ivodakam, rājan |
风神伐由(Vāyu)说：“勇士啊，若我当时赶到，掷骰赌局必不至发生；否则难敌(Duryodhana)也不可能活着。可如今，大王啊，一切既已败坏，我今日还能做什么？正如堤坝一决，洪水便再难遏止；同样，事势一旦脱缰，便奔涌向前，超越约束。”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of timing and consequence: once wrongdoing has been set in motion and its results have ‘broken the dam,’ even great power may be unable to reverse the flow. It underscores that preventing adharma early is easier than repairing its aftermath.
Vāyu explains that his absence allowed the disastrous dice-game to occur; had he been present, either the gambling would not have happened or Duryodhana would not have survived. Now, with events already unraveled, he compares the situation to water rushing uncontrollably after a dam breaks.