Mahabharata — Volume I (Dutt edition) — Chapter 293

MBh 1 293.1

वैशम्पायन उवाच प्रविश्य तां सभां पार्था युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमाः। समेत्य पार्थिवान् सर्वान् पूजार्हानभिपूज्य च॥ यथावयः समेयाना उपविष्टा यथार्हतः। आसनेषु विचित्रेषु स्पर्ध्यास्तरणवत्सु च॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca praviśya tāṃ sabhāṃ pārthā yudhiṣṭhirapurogamāḥ| sametya pārthivān sarvān pūjārhānabhipūjya ca|| yathāvayaḥ sameyānā upaviṣṭā yathārhataḥ| āsaneṣu vicitreṣu spardhyāstaraṇavatsu ca||

Vaishampayana said Having entered the Sabha, the sons of Pritha with Yudhishthira at their head met all the kings that were present there. Worshipping all those that deserved to be worshipped and saluting others as each deserved according to his age, they took their seats on pure seats covered with costly carpets.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.2

तेषु तत्रोपविष्टेषु सर्वेष्वध नृपेषु च। शकुनिः सौबलस्तत्र युधिष्ठिरमभाषत॥

teṣu tatropaviṣṭeṣu sarveṣvadha nṛpeṣu ca| śakuniḥ saubalastatra yudhiṣṭhiramabhāṣata||

When they were seated, and when the kings took their seats also, the son of Subala, Shakuni, thus spoke to Yudhishthira.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.3

शकुनिरुवाच उपस्तीर्णा सभा राजन् सर्वे त्वयि कृतक्षणाः। अक्षानुप्त्वा देवनस्य समयोऽस्तु युधिष्ठिरः॥

śakuniruvāca upastīrṇā sabhā rājan sarve tvayi kṛtakṣaṇāḥ| akṣānuptvā devanasya samayo'stu yudhiṣṭhiraḥ||

Shakuni said O king, the Assembly is full. All was waiting for you. O Yudhishthira, let now the dice be cast and the rules of play be fixed.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.4

युधिष्ठिर उवाच निकृतिर्देवनं पापं न क्षात्रोऽत्र पराक्रमः। न च नीति_वा राजन् किं त्वं द्यूतं प्रशंससि॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca nikṛtirdevanaṃ pāpaṃ na kṣātro'tra parākramaḥ| na ca nīti_vā rājan kiṃ tvaṃ dyūtaṃ praśaṃsasi||

Yudhishthira said O king, deceitful gambling is a sin. there is no Kshatriya prowess (to be found) in it. There is certainly no moraliiy in it; why then are you praising gambling?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.5

न हि मानं प्रशंसन्ति निकृतौ कितवस्य हि। शकुने मैव नो जैषीरमार्गेण नृशंसवत्॥

na hi mānaṃ praśaṃsanti nikṛtau kitavasya hi| śakune maiva no jaiṣīramārgeṇa nṛśaṃsavat||

O Shakuni, the wise men do not praise the pride that gamesters feel in deceitful play. Do not like a cruel man defeat us by deceitful means.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.6

शकुनिरुवाच चेष्टास्वखिन्नः कितवोऽक्षजासु। महामतिर्यश्च जानाति द्यूतं स वै सर्वं सहते प्रक्रियासु॥ स्तेनैव दोषो भवतीह पार्थ। दीव्यामहे पार्थिव मा विशङ्कां कुरुष्व पाणं च चिरं च मा कृथाः॥

śakuniruvāca ceṣṭāsvakhinnaḥ kitavo'kṣajāsu| mahāmatiryaśca jānāti dyūtaṃ sa vai sarvaṃ sahate prakriyāsu|| stenaiva doṣo bhavatīha pārtha| dīvyāmahe pārthiva mā viśaṅkāṃ kuruṣva pāṇaṃ ca ciraṃ ca mā kṛthāḥ||

Shakuni said. That high minded player, who knows the secrets of winning and losing, who is skilled in baffling the deceitful arts of those with whom he plays, and who is united with the various operations which gambling consists of, knows truly the play and suffers all in course of it. O son of Pritha, it is the staking of dice that may be lost and won, and which may injure us. And it is for this reason gambling is considered to be a fault. Therefore, O king, let us begin the play. Fear not, let the stakes be fixed. Do not make any further delay.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.7

युधिष्ठिर उवाच एवमाहायमसितो देवलो मुनिसत्तमः। इमानि लोकद्वाराणि यो वै भ्राम्यति सर्वदा॥ इदं वै देवनं पापं निकृत्या कितवैः सह। धर्मेण तु जयो युद्धे तत्परं न तु देवनम्॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca evamāhāyamasito devalo munisattamaḥ| imāni lokadvārāṇi yo vai bhrāmyati sarvadā|| idaṃ vai devanaṃ pāpaṃ nikṛtyā kitavaiḥ saha| dharmeṇa tu jayo yuddhe tatparaṃ na tu devanam||

Yudhishthira said That best of Rishis, the son of Asita, Devala, who always instructs us about all those acts that may lead(men) to heaven, hell or to the other regions, has said this it is sinful to play deceitfully with a gamester. The best sport is to obtain victory in a righteous battle. Gambling is not a sport.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.8

नार्या म्लेच्छन्ति भाषाभिर्मायया न चरन्त्युत। अजिह्ममशठं युद्धमेतत् सत्पुरुषव्रतम्॥

nāryā mlecchanti bhāṣābhirmāyayā na carantyuta| ajihmamaśaṭhaṃ yuddhametat satpuruṣavratam||

Those that are respectable do not use the Mleccha language, nor do they adopt deceitfulness in their behaviours. The act of honest men is to carry on a war without crookedness of cunning.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.9

शक्तितो ब्राह्मणान् नूनं रक्षितुं प्रयतामहे। तद् वै वित्तं मातिदेवीर्मा जैषीः शकुने परान्॥

śaktito brāhmaṇān nūnaṃ rakṣituṃ prayatāmahe| tad vai vittaṃ mātidevīrmā jaiṣīḥ śakune parān||

O Shakuni, by playing disparately do not deceitfully win from us that wealth with which according to our ability we try to benefit the Brahmanas. Even enemies should not be vanquished by desperate stakes in a deceitful play.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.10

निकृत्या कामये नाहं सुखान्युत धनानि वा। कितवस्येह कृतिनो वृत्तमेतन्न पूज्यते॥

nikṛtyā kāmaye nāhaṃ sukhānyuta dhanāni vā| kitavasyeha kṛtino vṛttametanna pūjyate||

I do not desire to have happiness or wealth by means of cunning. The conduct of one that is a gamester, even if his playing be without deceitfulness, should still never be praised.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.11

शकुनिरुवाच श्रोत्रियः श्रोत्रियानेति निकृत्यैव युधिष्ठिर। विद्वानविदुषोऽभ्येति नाहुस्तां निकृतिं जनाः॥

śakuniruvāca śrotriyaḥ śrotriyāneti nikṛtyaiva yudhiṣṭhira| vidvānaviduṣo'bhyeti nāhustāṃ nikṛtiṃ janāḥ||

Shakuni said O Yudhishthira, it is with the desire of vanquishing, which is (of course) not a very honest motive, that a high-born man approaches another (like him); so does a learned man an ignorant one;

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.12

अक्षैर्हि शिक्षितोऽभ्येति निकृत्यैव युधिष्ठिरः। विद्वानविदुषोऽभ्येति नाहुस्तां निकृति जनाः॥

akṣairhi śikṣito'bhyeti nikṛtyaiva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ| vidvānaviduṣo'bhyeti nāhustāṃ nikṛti janāḥ||

O Yudhishthira, so also a man skilled in dice approaches one who is not so from the desire of vanquishing (his opponent). One who is conversant with the truths of science approaches another that is not from the desire of victory, which is scarcely an honest motive.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.13

अकृतास्त्रं कृतास्त्रश्चं दुर्बलं बलवत्तरः। एवं कर्मसु सर्वेषु निकृत्यैव युधिष्ठिर। विद्वानविदुषोऽभ्येति नाहुस्तां निकृति जनाः॥

akṛtāstraṃ kṛtāstraścaṃ durbalaṃ balavattaraḥ| evaṃ karmasu sarveṣu nikṛtyaiva yudhiṣṭhira| vidvānaviduṣo'bhyeti nāhustāṃ nikṛti janāḥ||

O Yudhishthira, so also a man skilled in weapons approaches one who is not so; so does a strong man a weak one. This is the practice in every contest. The victory is(always)the motive.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.14

एवं त्वं मामिहाभ्येत्य निकृति यदि मन्यसे। देवनाद् विनिवर्तस्व यदि ते विद्यते भयम्॥

evaṃ tvaṃ māmihābhyetya nikṛti yadi manyase| devanād vinivartasva yadi te vidyate bhayam||

If, therefore, in approaching me to play, you consider that I am actuated by dishonest motives, and if you are afraid then desist from the play.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.15

युधिष्ठिर उवाच आहूतो न निवर्तेयमिति मे व्रतमाहितम्। विधिश्च बलवान् राजन् दिष्टस्यामि वशे स्थितः॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca āhūto na nivarteyamiti me vratamāhitam| vidhiśca balavān rājan diṣṭasyāmi vaśe sthitaḥ||

Yudhishthira said. O king, challenged, I do not withdraw; this is my established vow. (I know) fate is (all) powerful. We are all under the sway of Fate.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.16

अस्मिन् समागमे केन देवनं मे भविष्यति। प्रतिपाणश्च कोऽन्योऽस्ति ततो द्यूतं प्रवर्तताम्॥

asmin samāgame kena devanaṃ me bhaviṣyati| pratipāṇaśca ko'nyo'sti tato dyūtaṃ pravartatām||

In this assembly with whom am I to play? Who is there who can stake equally with me? Let the play begin (with him).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.17

दुर्योधन उवाच अहं दातास्मि रत्नानां धनानां च विशाम्पते॥ मदर्थे देविता चायं शकुनिर्मातुलो मम।

duryodhana uvāca ahaṃ dātāsmi ratnānāṃ dhanānāṃ ca viśāmpate|| madarthe devitā cāyaṃ śakunirmātulo mama|

Duryodhana said O king, I shall supply gems and jewels and wealth, and my uncle, Shakuni, will play the dice on my behalf.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 293.18

युधिष्ठिर उवाच अन्येनान्यस्य वै द्यूतं विषमं प्रतिभाति मे। एतद् विद्वन्नुपादत्स्व काममेवं प्रवर्तताम्॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca anyenānyasya vai dyūtaṃ viṣamaṃ pratibhāti me| etad vidvannupādatsva kāmamevaṃ pravartatām||

Yudhishthira said Gambling by one on another's behalf seems to me to be contrary to rule. O learned man, you too will admit this. If however, you still desire it, let the play begin.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)