एकैको ह्यत्र लभते सहस्रपरमां भृतिम्। युध्यतोऽयुध्यतो वापि वेतनं मासकालिकम्। एतद्राजन्म धनं तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया
Each one receives a monthly wage up to a thousand, whether fighting or not; this, O King, is my wealth, with which I play against you.
इत्येवमुक्ते वचने कृतवैरो दुरात्मवान्। जितमित्येव शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभाषत
When these words were spoken, the wicked-hearted one, bearing enmity, Shakuni said to Yudhishthira, 'Defeated!'
अश्वांस्तित्तिरिकल्माषान्गान्धर्वान्हेममालिनः। ददौ चित्ररथस्तुष्टो यांस्तान्गाण्डीवधन्वने
Citraratha, pleased, gave horses—Tittiri, Kalmasha, Gandharva breeds, adorned with golden garlands—to the wielder of Gandiva.
युद्धे जितः पराभूतः प्रीतिपूर्वमरिन्दमः। एतद्राजन्मम धनं तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया
Though defeated and subdued in battle, the enemy-tamer received them with joy; this, O King, is my wealth, with which I play against you.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा व्यवसितो निकृतिं समुपाश्रितः। तमित्येव शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभाषत
Hearing this, resolved and resorting to deceit, Shakuni said to Yudhishthira, 'Defeated!'
रथानां शकटानां च श्रेष्ठानां चायुतानि मे। युक्तान्येव हि तिष्ठन्ति वाहैरुच्चावचैस्तथा
I have tens of thousands of the best chariots and wagons, all standing ready, yoked to steeds of various kinds.
एवं वर्णस्य वर्णस्य समुच्चीय सहस्रशः। यथा समुदिता वीराः सर्वे वीरपराक्रमाः
Thus, assembling warriors of every class by the thousands, all valiant and possessing the courage of heroes, as they were gathered together—
क्षीरं पिबन्तस्तिष्ठन्ति भुञ्जानाः शालितण्डुलान्। षष्टिस्तानि सहस्राणि सर्वे विपुलवक्षसः। एतद्राजन्मम धनं तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया
They stand drinking milk and eating rice and barley; sixty thousand of them, all broad-chested. This, O King, is my wealth, and with it I play against you.
एतच्छ्रत्वा व्यवसितो निकृति समुपाश्रितः। जितमित्येव शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभाषत
Hearing this, resolved upon deceit, Shakuni declared to Yudhishthira in the game, 'You are defeated.'
ताम्रलोहैः परिवृता निधयो ये चतुः शताः। पञ्चद्रौणिक एकैकः सुवर्णस्याहतस्य वै
There are four hundred treasuries surrounded by copper and iron, each containing five hundred talents of unalloyed gold.
जातरूपस्य मुख्यस्य नार्घो यस्य हि भारत। एतद्राजन्मम धनं तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया
Of pure and excellent gold, whose value is beyond estimation, O Bharata—this, O King, is my wealth, and with it I play against you.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा व्यवसितो निकृतिं समुपाश्रितः। जितमित्येव शकुनिर्युधिष्ठिरमभापतः
Hearing this, resolved upon deceit, Shakuni declared to Yudhishthira in the game, 'You are defeated.'
एवं प्रवर्तिते द्यूते घोरे सर्वापहारिणि। सर्वसंशयनिर्मोक्ता विदुरो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
As the dreadful game proceeded, stripping all of everything, Vidura spoke these words, removing all doubts.
महाराज विजानीहि यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि भारत। मुमूर्षोरौषधमिव न रोचेतापि ते श्रुतम्
Great King, know well what I am about to say to you, O Bharata. Though you may not like to hear it, as a dying man dislikes medicine, listen.
यद्वै पुरा जातमात्रो रुराव गोमायुवद्विस्वरं पापचेताः। दुर्योधनो भारतानां कुलघ्नः सोऽयं युक्तो भवतां कालहेतुः
When he was just born, Duryodhana, the destroyer of the Bharata line, howled with a jackal’s cry, wicked-hearted; he is now the cause of your ruin.
गृहे वसन्तं गोमायुं त्वं वै मोहान्न बुध्यसे। दुर्योधनस्य रूपेण शृणु काव्यां गिरं मम
You do not realize, out of delusion, that you are keeping a jackal in your house in the form of Duryodhana. Hear now my words of wisdom.
मधु वै माध्विको लब्ध्वा प्रपातं नैव बुध्यते। आरुह्य तं मज्जति वा पतनं चाधिगच्छति
A bee, having found honey, does not notice the precipice; climbing up, it falls and meets its destruction.
सोऽयं मत्तोऽक्षद्यूतेन मधुवन्न पीरक्षते। प्रपातं बुध्यते नैव वैरं कृत्वा महारथैः
So too, intoxicated by the game of dice, he does not see the fall ahead, nor does he heed the enmity he has created with mighty warriors.
विदितं मे महाप्राज्ञ भोजेष्वेवासमञ्जसम्। पुत्रं संत्यक्तवान्पूर्वं पौराणां हितकाम्यया
I know, O wise one, that among the Bhojas, there was once a similar injustice; for the good of the people, they abandoned their own son.
अन्धका यादवा भोजाः समेताः कंसमत्यजन्। नियोगात्तु हते तस्मिन्कृष्णेनामित्रघातिना
The Andhakas, Yadavas, and Bhojas together cast out Kamsa; by command, when he was slain by Krishna, the destroyer of foes.
एवं ते ज्ञातयः सर्वे मोदमानाः शतं समाः। त्वन्नियुक्तः सव्यसाची निगृह्णातु सुयोधनम्
Thus, all your kinsmen rejoiced for a hundred years; let Savyasachi, at your command, restrain Suyodhana.
निग्रहादस्य पादस्य मोदन्तां कुरवः सुखम्। काकेनेमांश्चित्रवर्हाञ्शार्दूलान्क्रोष्टुकेन च। क्रीणीष्व पाण्डवान्राजन्मा मज्जीः शोकसागरे
By restraining this foot, let the Kurus rejoice in happiness; buy the Pandavas, O King, as a crow buys peacocks, a tiger buys jackals—do not drown in the sea of sorrow.
त्यजेत्कुलार्थे पुरुषं ग्रामस्यार्थे कुलं त्यजेत्। ग्रामं जनपदस्यार्थे आत्मार्थे पृथिवीं त्यजेत्
For the sake of the clan, one should abandon a man; for the sake of the village, abandon the clan; for the sake of the country, abandon the village; for the sake of the self, abandon the earth.
सर्वज्ञः सर्वभावज्ञः सर्वशत्रुभयङ्करः। इति स्म भाषते काव्यो जम्भत्यागे महाऽसुरान्
He who knows all, who knows the nature of all beings, who is the terror of all enemies—thus spoke Kavya when he abandoned the great Asuras.
हिरण्यष्ठीविनः कांश्चित्पक्षिणो वनगोचरान्। गृहे किल कृतावासाँल्लोभाद्राजा न्यपीडयत्। स चोपभोगलोभान्धो हिरण्यार्थी परन्तप
The king, blinded by greed for enjoyment and gold, oppressed certain birds of the forest—golden-plumed, it is said—who had made their home in his house.
आयतिं च तदात्वं च उभे सद्यो व्यनाशयत्। तदर्थकामस्तद्वत्त्वं माद्रुहः पाण्डवान्नृप
Desiring their wealth, he destroyed both their future and their present at once; O king, do not act toward the sons of Pandu as he did.
मोहात्मा तप्स्यसे पश्चात्पत्रिहा पुरुषो यथा। जातञ्जातं पाण्डवेभ्यः पुष्पमादत्स्व भारत
Deluded in mind, you will suffer later, just as a man who kills birds does; O Bharata, keep taking what blossoms from the Pandavas, as it arises.
मालाकार इवारामे स्नेहं कुर्वन्पुनः पुनः। वृक्षानङ्गारकारीव मैनाद्याक्षीः समूलकान्। मा गमः समुतामात्यः सबलश्च यमक्षयम्
Like a garland-maker in a garden, again and again showing affection, or like a charcoal-burner who cuts down trees with their roots, do not, O chief minister, go with your forces to the abode of Yama.
समवेतान्हि कः पार्थान्प्रतियुध्येत भारत। मरुद्भिः सहितो राजन्नपि साक्षान्मरुत्पतिः
O Bharata, who could withstand the assembled sons of Pritha in battle—even the lord of the Maruts himself, joined by the Maruts?
द्यूतं मूलं कलहस्याभ्युपैति मिथो भेदं महते दारुणाय। तदा स्थितोऽयं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रो दुर्योधनः सृजते वैरमुग्रम्
Gambling is the root of conflict; it leads to harsh division and great calamity. Thus, Duryodhana, son of Dhritarashtra, stands here, sowing fierce enmity.