Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.1189

c5.1189

6) Dharmaputra’s first defeat in the game of dice. The sight of the great wealth including costly stones and gems presented by various kings to dharmaputra at the Rājasūya and the humiliation experienced while surveying the palace made Duryodhana all the more mad with anger and hatred towards the Pāṇḍavas. He now came to the decision either to defeat the Pāṇḍavas once for all or to commit suicide by taking poison. He held secret consultations on the topic with Śakuni whose efforts at first to pacify him (Duryodhana) failed. Ultimately Śakuni, an expert in the game of dice, advised Duryodhana to invite Dharmaputra to a game, assuring him that the rest he would take care of. Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura advised Duryodhana against the move, but he did not yield. Finally Dhṛtarāṣṭra, saying to himself that nobody would change fate, agreed to Duryodhana’s proposal, and deputed Vidura to Dharmaputra to invite him for the game.