02053001a upastIrNA sabhA rAjan rantuJM caite kRtakSaNAH 'O king, the assembly is full. All had been waiting for thee.
02053001c akSAn uptvA devanasya samayo 'stu yudhiSThira Let, therefore, the dice be cast and the rules of play be fixed, O yudhiSThira.'
02053002 yudhiSThira uvAca
02053002a nikRtir devanamM pApanM na kSAtro 'tra parAkramaH 'yudhiSThira replied, 'Deceitful gambling is sinful. There is no kSatriya prowess in it.
02053002c na ca nItir dhruvA rAjan kinM tvanM dyUtamM prazaMsasi There is certainly no morality in it. Why, then, O king, dost thou praise gambling so?
02053003a na hi mAnamM prazaMsanti nikRtau kitavasya ha The wise applaud not the pride that gamesters feel in deceitful play.
02053003c zakune maiva no jaiSIr amArgeNa nRzaMsavat O zakuni, vanquish us, not like a wretch, by deceitful means.'
02053004 zakunir uvAca zakuni said,
02053004a yo 'nveti saGMkhyAnM nikRtau vidhijJaz ceSTAsv akhinnaH kitavo 'kSajAsu --'That high-souled player who knoweth the secrets of winning and losing, who is skilled in baffling the deceitful arts of his confrere,
02053004c mahAmatir yaz ca jAnAti dyUtaM sa vai sarvaM sahate prakriyAsu who is united in all the diverse operations of which gambling consisteth, truly knoweth the play, and he suffereth all in course of it.
02053005a akSaglahasH so 'bhibhavet paranM nas tenaiva kAlo bhavatIdam Attha O son of pRthA, it is the staking at dice, which may be lost or won that may injure us. And it is for that reason that gambling is regarded as a fault.
02053005c dIvyAmahe pArthiva mA vizaGkAGM kuruSva pANaJM ca ciraJM ca mA kRthAH Let us, therefore, O king, begin the play. Fear not. Let the stakes be fixed. Delay not!'
02053006 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
02053006a evam AhAyam asito devalo munisattamaH --'That best of Munis, Devala, the son of Asita,
02053006c imAni lokadvArANi yo vai saJMcarate sadA who always instructeth us about all those acts that may lead to heaven, hell, or the other regions,
02053007a idaM vai devanamM pApamM mAyayA kitavaisH saha hath said, that it is sinful to play deceitfully with a gamester.
02053007c dharmeNa tu jayo yuddhe tat paraM sAdhu devanam To obtain victory in battle without cunning or stratagem is the best sport.
02053008a nAryA mlecchanti bhASAbhir mAyayA na caranty uta Gambling, however, as a sport, is not so. Those that are respectable never use the language of the Mlechchas, nor do they adopt deceitfulness in their behaviour.
02053008c ajihmam azaThaM yuddham etat satpuruSavratam War carried on without crookedness and cunning, this is the act of men that are honest.
02053009c tad vai vittamM mAtidevIr mA jaiSIzH zakune param Do not, O zakuni, playing desperately, win of us that wealth with which according to our abilities, we strive to learn how to benefit the brAhmaNas.
02053010a nAhanM nikRtyA kAmaye sukhAny uta dhanAni vA Even enemies should not be vanquished by desperate stakes in deceitful play. I do not desire either happiness or wealth by means of cunning.
02053010c kitavasyApy anikRter vRttam etan na pUjyate The conduct of one that is a gamester, even if it be without deceitfulness, should not be applauded.'
02053011c vidvAn aviduSo 'bhyeti nAhus tAnM nikRtiJM janAH --'O yudhiSThira, it is from a desire of winning, which is not a very honest motive, that one high-born person approacheth another (in a contest of race superiority). So also it is from a desire of defeating, which is not a very honest motive, that one learned person approacheth another (in a contest of learning). Such motives, however, are scarcely regarded as really dishonest. So also, O yudhiSThira, a person skilled at dice approacheth one that is not so skilled from a desire of vanquishing him. One also who is conversant with the truths of science approacheth another that is not from desire of victory, which is scarcely an honest motive. But (as I have already said) such a motive is not really dishonest. And, O yudhiSThira, so also one that is skilled in weapons approacheth one that is not so skilled; the strong approacheth the weak. This is the practice in every contest. The motive is victory, O yudhiSThira.
02053012a evanM tvamM mAm ihAbhyetya nikRtiM yadi manyase If, therefore, thou, in approaching me, regardest me to be actuated by motives that are dishonest,
02053012c devanAd vinivartasva yadi te vidyate bhayam if thou art under any fear, desist then from play.'
02053013 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
02053013a AhUto na nivarteyam iti me vratam Ahitam --'Summoned, I do not withdraw. This is my established vow.
02053013c vidhiz ca balavAn rAjan diSTasyAsmi vaze sthitaH And, O king, Fate is all powerful. We all are under the control of Destiny.
02053014a asmin samAgame kena devanamM me bhaviSyati With whom in this assembly am I to play?
02053014c pratipANaz ca ko 'nyo 'sti tato dyUtamM pravartatAm Who is there that can stake equally with me? Let the play begin.'
02053015 duryodhana uvAca 'duryodhana said,
02053015a ahanM dAtAsmi ratnAnAnM dhanAnAJM ca vizAmM pate --'O monarch, I shall supply jewels and gems and every kind of wealth.
02053015c madarthe devitA cAyaM zakunir mAtulo mama And it is for me that this zakuni, my uncle, will play.'
02053016 yudhiSThira uvAca 'yudhiSThira said,
02053016a anyenAnyasya viSamanM devanamM pratibhAti me --'Gambling for one's sake by the agency of another seemeth to me to be contrary to rule.
02053016c etad vidvann upAdatsva kAmam evamM pravartatAm Thou also, O learned one, will admit this. If, however, thou art still bent on it, let the play begin.''
02053017a upohyamAne dyUte tu rAjAnasH sarva eva te --'When the play commenced, all those kings
02053017c dhRtarASTramM puraskRtya vivizus tAM sabhAnM tataH with dhRtarASTra at their head took their seats in that assembly.
02053018a bhISmo droNaH kRpaz caiva viduraz ca mahAmatiH And, O bharata, bhISma and droNa and kRpa and the high-souled vidura
02053018c nAtIvaprItamanasas te 'nvavartanta bhArata with cheerless hearts sat behind.
02053019a te dvanMdvazaH pRthak caiva siMhagrIvA mahaujasaH And those kings with leonine necks and endued with great energy
02053019c siMhAsanAni bhUrINi vicitrANi ca bhejire took their seats separately and in pairs upon many elevated seats of beautiful make and colour.
02053020a zuzubhe sA sabhA rAjan rAjabhis taisH samAgataiH And, O king, that mansion looked resplendent with those assembled kings
02053020c devair iva mahAbhAgaisH samavetais triviSTapam like heaven itself with a conclave of the celestials of great good fortune.
02053021a sarve vedavidazH zUrAsH sarve bhAsvaramUrtayaH And they were all conversant with the Vedas and brave and of resplendent countenances.
02053021c prAvartata mahArAja suhRddyUtam anantaram And, O great king, the friendly match at dice then commenced.
02053022 yudhiSThira uvAca yudhiSThira said,
02053022a ayamM bahudhano rAjan sAgarAvartasamMbhavaH --'O king, this excellent wealth of pearls of great value, procured from the ocean by churning it (of old),
02053022c maNir hArottarazH zrImAn kanakottamabhUSaNaH so beautiful and decked with pure gold,
02053023a etad rAjan dhanamM mahyamM pratipANas tu kas tava this, O king, is my stake. What is thy counter stake, O great king,
02053023c bhavatv eSa kramas tAta jayAmy enanM durodaram --the wealth with which thou wishest to play with me?'
02053024 duryodhana uvAca 'duryodhana said,
02053024a santi me maNayaz caiva dhanAni vividhAni ca --'I have many jewels and much wealth.
02053024c matsaraz ca na me 'rtheSu jayAmy enanM durodaram But I am not vain of them. Win thou this stake.'
