युधिष्ठिर उवाच
कथं वै मद्विधो राजा स्वधर्मम् अनुपालयन् ॥
आहूतो विनिवर्तेत दीव्यामि शकुने त्वया ॥
शकुनिर् उवाच
गवाश्वं बहुधेनूकम् अपर्यन्तम् अजाविकम् ॥
गजाः कोशो हिरण्यं च दासीदासं च सर्वशः ॥
एष नो ग्लह एवैको वनवासाय पाण्डवाः ॥
यूयं वयं वा विजिता वसेम वनम् आश्रिताः ॥
अनेन व्यवसायेन दीव्याम भरतर्षभ ॥
समुत्क्षेपेण चैकेन वनवासाय भारत ॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
kathaṃ vai madvidho rājā svadharmam anupālayan ||
āhūto vinivarteta dīvyāmi śakune tvayā ||
śakunir uvāca
gavāśvaṃ bahudhenūkam aparyantam ajāvikam ||
gajāḥ kośo hiraṇyaṃ ca dāsīdāsaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ ||
eṣa no glaha evaiko vanavāsāya pāṇḍavāḥ ||
yūyaṃ vayaṃ vā vijitā vasema vanam āśritāḥ ||
anena vyavasāyena dīvyāma bharatarṣabha ||
samutkṣepeṇa caikena vanavāsāya bhārata ||
[Yudhiṣṭhira:] "How could a king like me, keeping to his own dharma, turn back once summoned? I play with you, O Śakuni. Cattle and horses, abundant milch-herds, countless goats and sheep, elephants, treasury and gold, bondswomen and bondsmen — all of this has come back to us; but our one and only stake now is exile in the forest: whichever of us loses shall withdraw to dwell in the forest. With this agreement let us play, O bull among the Bharatas — with a single throw, for exile in the forest, O Bhārata."
f8fa3b5ef760 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:12:36 PM UTC
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What proved fatal for Yudhiṣṭhira was the notion of honor, turned by his enemy against him: "how could a king who keeps to dharma turn back once summoned?" The kṣatriya's vow not to refuse a challenge is sacred on the field of battle, but here it lures him into a trap, for it is applied out of place. Thus the highest virtue, unlit by discernment, becomes a doorway to disaster: fidelity to the letter of duty betrays its spirit. It is telling that the stake chosen is not the restored wealth but the very years of life — exile; and a single throw will decide everything. The verse teaches that virtue requires wisdom about the time and place of its application; that a vow kept where it does not bind turns into self-destruction; and that an enemy is most dangerous when he knows how to turn our own honor against us.