The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 2.67: saptaṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ

2.67.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
tato vyadhvagataṃ pārthaṃ prātikāmī yudhiṣṭhiram |
uvāca vacanādrājño dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dhīmataḥ || 1 ||

Vaisampayana said,--'The royal messenger, agreeably to the commands of the intelligent king Dhritarashtra, coming upon Yudhishthira, the son of Pritha who had by that time gone a great way, addressed the monarch and said,--'Even these are the words of thy father-like uncle, O Bharata, spoken unto thee, 'The assembly is ready. O son of Pandu, O king Yudhisthira, come and cast the dice.'

2.67.2

upastīrṇā sabhā rājannakṣānuptvā yudhiṣṭhira |
ehi pāṇḍava dīvyeti pitā tvāmāha bhārata || 2 ||

2.67.3

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
dhāturniyogādbhūtāni prāpnuvanti śubhāśubham |
na nivṛttistayorasti devitavyaṃ punaryadi || 3 ||

Yudhishthira said,--'Creatures obtain fruits good and ill according to the dispensation of the Ordainer of the creation. Those fruits are inevitable whether I play or not. This is a summons to dice; it is, besides the command of the old king. Although I know that it will prove destructive to me, yet I cannot refuse.'

2.67.4

akṣadyūte samāhvānaṃ niyogātsthavirasya ca |
jānannapi kṣayakaraṃ nātikramitumutsahe || 4 ||

2.67.5

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
iti bruvannivavṛte bhrātṛbhiḥ saha pāṇḍavaḥ |
jānaṃśca śakunermāyāṃ pārtho dyūtamiyātpunaḥ || 5 ||

Vaisampayana continued,--"Although (a living) animal made of gold was an impossibility, yet Rama suffered himself to be tempted by a (golden) deer. Indeed, the minds of men over whom calamities hang, became deranged and out of order. Yudhishthira, therefore, having said these words, retraced his steps along with his brothers. And knowing full well the deception practised by Sakuni, the son of Pritha came back to sit at dice with him again. These mighty warriors again entered that assembly, afflicting the hearts of all their friends. And compelled by Fate they once more sat down at ease for gambling for the destruction of themselves."

2.67.6

viviśuste sabhāṃ tāṃ tu punareva mahārathāḥ |
vyathayanti sma cetāṃsi suhṛdāṃ bharatarṣabhāḥ || 6 ||

2.67.7

yathopajoṣamāsīnāḥ punardyūtapravṛttaye |
sarvalokavināśāya daivenopanipīḍitāḥ || 7 ||

2.67.8

śakuniruvāca |
amuñcatsthaviro yadvo dhanaṃ pūjitameva tat |
mahādhanaṃ glahaṃ tvekaṃ śṛṇu me bharatarṣabha || 8 ||

"Sakuni then said,--'The old king hath given ye back all your wealth. That is well. But, O bull of the Bharata race, listen to me, there is a stake of great value. Either defeated by ye at dice, dressed in deer skins we shall enter the great forest and live there for twelve years passing the whole of the thirteenth year in some inhabited region, unrecognised, and if recognised return to an exile of another twelve years; or vanquished by us, dressed in deer skins ye shall, with Krishna, live for twelve years in the woods passing the whole of the thirteenth year unrecognised, in some inhabited region. If recognised, an exile of another twelve years is to be the consequence. On the expiry of the thirteenth year, each is to have his kingdom surrendered by the other. O Yudhishthira, with this resolution, play with us, O Bharata, casting the dice.'

2.67.9

vayaṃ dvādaśa varṣāṇi yuṣmābhirdyūtanirjitāḥ |
praviśema mahāraṇyaṃ rauravājinavāsasaḥ || 9 ||

2.67.10

trayodaśaṃ ca sajane ajñātāḥ parivatsaram |
jñātāśca punaranyāni vane varṣāṇi dvādaśa || 10 ||

2.67.11

asmābhirvā jitā yūyaṃ vane varṣāṇi dvādaśa |
vasadhvaṃ kṛṣṇayā sārdhamajinaiḥ prativāsitāḥ || 11 ||

2.67.12

trayodaśe ca nirvṛtte punareva yathocitam |
svarājyaṃ pratipattavyamitarairatha vetaraiḥ || 12 ||

2.67.13

anena vyavasāyena sahāsmābhiryudhiṣṭhira |
akṣānuptvā punardyūtamehi dīvyasva bhārata || 13 ||

2.67.14

sabhāsada ūcuḥ |
aho dhigbāndhavā nainaṃ bodhayanti mahadbhayam |
buddhyā bodhyaṃ na budhyante svayaṃ ca bharatarṣabhāḥ || 14 ||

"At these words, they that were in that assembly, raising up their arms said in great anxiety of mind, and from the strength of their feelings these words,--'Alas, fie on the friends of Duryodhana that they do not apprise him of his great danger. Whether he, O bull among the Bharatas, (Dhritarashtra) understandeth or not, of his own sense, it is thy duty to tell him plainly."

2.67.15

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
janapravādānsubahūniti śṛṇvannarādhipaḥ |
hriyā ca dharmasaṅgācca pārtho dyūtamiyātpunaḥ || 15 ||

"Vaisampayana continued,--King Yudhishthira, even hearing these various remarks, from shame and a sense of virtue again sat at dice. And though possessed of great intelligence and fully knowing the consequences, he again began to play, as if knowing that the destruction of the Kurus was at hand.

2.67.16

jānannapi mahābuddhiḥ punardyūtamavartayat |
apyayaṃ na vināśaḥ syātkurūṇāmiti cintayan || 16 ||

2.67.17

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
kathaṃ vai madvidho rājā svadharmamanupālayan |
āhūto vinivarteta dīvyāmi śakune tvayā || 17 ||

"And Yudhishthira said,--'How can, O Sakuni, a king like me, always observant of the uses of his own order, refuse, when summoned to dice? Therefore I play with thee."

2.67.18

śakuniruvāca |
gavāśvaṃ bahudhenūkamaparyantamajāvikam |
gajāḥ kośo hiraṇyaṃ ca dāsīdāsaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ || 18 ||

"Sakuni answered,--'We have many kine and horses, and milch cows, and an infinite number of goats and sheep; and elephants and treasures and gold and slaves both male and female. All these were staked by us before but now let this be our one stake, viz., exile into the woods,--being defeated either ye or we will dwell in the woods (for twelve years) and the thirteenth year, unrecognised, in some inhabited place. Ye bulls among men, with this determination, will we play."

2.67.19

eṣa no glaha evaiko vanavāsāya pāṇḍavāḥ |
yūyaṃ vayaṃ vā vijitā vasema vanamāśritāḥ || 19 ||

2.67.20

anena vyavasāyena dīvyāma bharatarṣabha |
samutkṣepeṇa caikena vanavāsāya bhārata || 20 ||

"O Bharata, this proposal about a stay in the woods was uttered but once. The son of Pritha, however, accepted it and Sakuni took up the dice. And casting them he said unto Yudhishthira,--'Lo, I have won."

2.67.21

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
pratijagrāha taṃ pārtho glahaṃ jagrāha saubalaḥ |
jitamityeva śakuniryudhiṣṭhiramabhāṣata || 21 ||