02052001a tataH prAyAd viduro 'zvair udArair mahAjavair balibhiH sAdhudAntaiH --'vidura then set out, with the help of horses of high mettle and endued with great speed and strength, and quiet and patient,
02052001c balAn niyukto dhRtarASTreNa rAjJA manISiNAmM pANDavAnAM sakAzam commanded against his will by king dhRtarASTra, towards the abode of the wise sons of pANDu.
02052002a so 'bhipatya tadadhvAnam AsAdya nRpateH puram Possessed of great intelligence, vidura proceeded by the way leading to the capital of the pANDavas.
02052002c praviveza mahAbuddhiH pUjyamAno dvijAtibhiH And having arrived at the city of king yudhiSThira, he entered it and proceeded towards the palace, worshipped by numberless brAhmaNas.
02052003a sa rAjagRham AsAdya kuberabhavanopamam
02052003c abhyagacchata dharmAtmA dharmaputraM yudhiSThiram And coming to the palace which was even like unto the mansion of Kuvera himself, the virtuous vidura approached yudhiSThira, the son of dharma.
02052004a taM vai rAjA satyadhRtir mahAtmA ajAtazatrur viduraM yathAvat Then the illustrious Ajamida devoted to truth and having no enemy on earth,
02052004c pUjApUrvamM pratigRhyAjamIDhas tato 'pRcchad dhRtarASTraM saputram reverentially saluted vidura, and asked him about dhRtarASTra and his sons.
02052005 yudhiSThira uvAca And yudhiSThira said,
02052005a vijJAyate te manaso na praharSaH kaccit kSattaH kuzalenAgato 'si 'O Kshatta, thy mind seemeth to be cheerless. Dost thou come here in happiness and peace?
02052005c kaccit putrAsH sthavirasyAnulomA vazAnugAz cApi vizo 'pi kaccit The sons of dhRtarASTra, I hope, are obedient to their old father. The people also, I hope, are obedient to dhRtarASTra's rule.'
02052006 vidura uvAca 'vidura said,
02052006a rAjA mahAtmA kuzalI saputra Aste vRto jJAtibhir indrakalpaiH --'The illustrious king, with his sons, is well and happy, and surrounded by his relatives he reigneth even like indra himself.
02052006c prIto rAjan putragaNair vinItair vizoka evAtmaratir dRDhAtmA The king is happy with his sons who are all obedient to him and hath no grief. The illustrious monarch is bent on his own aggrandisement.
02052007a idanM tu tvAGM kururAjo 'bhyuvAca pUrvamM pRSTvA kuzalaJM cAvyayaJM ca The king of the kurus hath commanded me to enquire after thy peace and prosperity,
02052007c iyaM sabhA tvatsabhAtulyarUpA bhrAtRRNAnM te pazya tAm etya putra and to ask thee to repair to Hastinapore with thy brothers and to say, after beholding king dhRtarASTra's newly erected palace, whether that one is equal to thy own.
02052008a samAgamya bhrAtRbhiH pArtha tasyAM suhRddyUtaM kriyatAM ramyatAM ca Repairing thither, O son of pRthA, with thy brothers, enjoy ye in that mansion and sit to a friendly match at dice.
02052008c prIyAmahe bhavatasH saGMgamena samAgatAH kuravaz caiva sarve We shall be glad if thou goest, as the kurus have already arrived there.
02052009a durodarA vihitA ye tu tatra mahAtmanA dhRtarASTreNa rAjJA And thou wilt see there those gamblers and cheats that the illustrious king dhRtarASTra hath already brought thither.
02052009c tAn drakSyase kitavAn sanMniviSTAn ity Agato 'hanM nRpate taj juSasva It is for this, O king, that I have come hither. Let the king's command be approved by thee.
02052010 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
02052010a dyUte kSattaH kalaho vidyate naH ko vai dyUtaM rocayed budhyamAnaH --'O Kshatta, if we sit to a match at dice, we may quarrel. What man is there, who knowing all this, will consent to gamble?
02052010c kiM vA bhavAn manyate yuktarUpamM bhavadvAkye sarva eva sthitAsH sma What dost thou think fit for us? We all are obedient to thy counsels.'
02052011 vidura uvAca 'vidura said,
02052011a jAnAmy ahanM dyUtam anarthamUlaGM kRtaz ca yatno 'sya mayA nivAraNe --'I know that gambling is the root of misery, and I strove to dissuade the king from it.
02052011c rAjA tu mAmM prAhiNot tvatsakAzaM zrutvA vidvaJ zreya ihAcarasva The king, however, hath sent me to thee. Having known all this, O learned one, do what is beneficial.
02052012 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
02052012a ke tatrAnye kitavA dIvyamAnA vinA rAjJo dhRtarASTrasya putraiH --'Besides the sons of dhRtarASTra what other dishonest gamblers are there ready for play?
02052012c pRcchAmi tvAM vidura brUhi nas tAn yair dIvyAmazH zatazasH sanMnipatya Tell us, O vidura, who they are and with whom we shall have to play, staking hundreds upon hundreds of our possessions.'
02052013 vidura uvAca 'vidura said,
02052013a gAndhArarAjazH zakunir vizAmM pate rAjAtidevI kRtahasto matAkSaH --'O monarch, zakuni, the king of Gandhara, an adept at dice, having great skill of hand and desperate in stakes,
02052013c viviMzatiz citrasenaz ca rAjA satyavrataH purumitro jayaz ca Vivingati, king citrasena, Satyavrata, Purumitra and Jaya, these, O king, are there.''
02052014 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
02052014a mahAbhayAH kitavAH saMniviSTA mAyopadhA devitAro 'tra santi --'It would seem then that some of the most desperate and terrible gamblers always depending upon deceit are there.
02052014c dhAtrA tu diSTasya vaze kiledanM nAdevanaGM kitavair adya tair me This whole universe, however, is at the will of its Maker, under the control of fate. It is not free.
02052015a nAhaM rAjJo dhRtarASTrasya zAsanAn na gantum icchAmi kave durodaram O learned one, I do not desire, at the command of king dhRtarASTra to engage myself in gambling.
02052015c iSTo hi putrasya pitA sadaiva tad asmi kartA vidurAttha mAM yathA The father always wisheth to benefit his son. Thou art our master, O vidura. Tell me what is proper for us.
02052016a na cAkAmazH zakuninA devitAhanM na cen mAnM dhRSNur AhvayitA sabhAyAm Unwilling as I am to gamble, I will not do so, if the wicked zakuni doth not summon me to it in the Sabha?
02052016c AhUto 'hanM na nivarte kadA cit tad AhitaM zAzvataM vai vratamM me If, however, he challengeth me, I will never refuse. For that, as settled, is my eternal vow.'
