History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.992.1

v4.c63.992.1

Manu IX. 223, Nār. XIX. 1 and Bṛ. (S. B. E. 33 p. 385 verse 3) define *dyūta* (gambling) as that sport which is carried on with inanimate objects such as dice, pieces of leather, ivory and the like and in which there is a stake, while sport carried on with animate objects such as cocks, pigeons, rams, buffaloes and wrestlers is called *samāhvaya*. The attitude of Manu towards gambling was uncompromising. Manu (IX. 221-222, 224-226) calls upon the king to suppress gambling and prize-fighting in his country as they cause the destruction of the State; he states that gambling is open theft and therefore the king should endeavour to put it down and that the king should punish with corporal punishment all those who engage in gambling or who induce or help others to gamble, and that he should banish gamblers from the city because gamblers residing in the country harass wellconducted subjects by their deceitful tricks. Manu IX. 227 (= Udyogaparva 37. 19) states that in ancient times gambling engendered great enmities and therefore a wise man should not resort to it even for amusement or in jest. Kāt. (934) is to the same effect. Yāj. II. 203 and Kauṭ. III. 20⁹⁹⁴ allowed gambling in a central place under State supervision as it led to the detection of thieves. Bṛ.⁹⁹⁵ (S. B. E. 33 p.