वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो व्यध्वगतं पार्थं प्रातिकामी युधिष्ठिरम्। उवाच वचनाद् राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमतः॥
Vaishampayana said Thereupon at the command of the intelligent Dhritarashtra Pratikamin, thus spoke to the son of Pritha, king Yudhisthira who had gone (by this time) to a great distance from Hastinapur.
उपास्तीर्णा सभा राजन्नक्षानुप्त्वा युधिष्ठिर। एहि पाण्डव दीव्येति पिता त्वाऽऽहेति भारत॥
Pratikamin said O descendant of Bharata, your father has said, “O Yudhisthira, the assembly is ready. O son of Pandu, O king, O Yudhisthira, come and throw the dice.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच धातुर्नियोगाद् भूतानि प्राप्नुवन्ति शुभाशुभम्। न निवृत्तिस्तयोरस्ति देवितव्यं पुनर्यदि॥
Yudhisthira said All creatures obtain good or evil fruits according to the appointment of the Ordainer of the creation. Whether I play or I do not play, those fruits are inevitable.
अक्षयूते समाह्वानं नियोगात् स्थविरस्य च। जानन्नपि क्षयकरं नातिक्रमितुमुत्सहे॥
This is a summons to dice, it is also the command of the old king. Though I know it will prove destructive to me, yet I cannot refuse.
वैशम्पायन उवाच स्तथापि रामो लुलुभे मृगाय। प्रायः समासन्नपराभवाणां धियो विपर्यस्ततरा भवन्ति॥
Though (a living) animal made of gold was an impossibility, yet Rama suffered himself to be tempted by a (golden) deer. the mind of men over whom calamities hang become deranged and out of order.
इति ब्रुवन् निववृते भ्रातृभिः सह पाण्डवः। जानंश्च शकुनेर्मायां पार्थो द्यूतमियात् पुनः॥
Vaishampayana said Having said this, the Pandava (Yudhisthira) with his brothers retraced his steps (towards Hastinapur). Knowing full well the deception practised by Shakuni, the son of Pritha (Yudhisthira) came back to sit at dice with him again.
विविशुस्ते सभां तां तु पुनरेव महारथाः। व्यथयन्ति स्म चेतांसि सुहृदां भरतर्षभाः॥
O best of the Bharata race,, giving great pain to the hearts of all their friends those great car-warriors again entered that assembly.
यथोपजोषमासीनाः पुन तप्रवृत्तये। सर्वलोकविनाशाय दैवेनोपनिपीडिताः॥
Guided by Fate, they once more sat down at ease for gambling in order to bring about the destruction of men.
शकुनिरुवाच अमुञ्चत् स्थविरो यद् वो धनं पूजितमेव तत्। महाधनं ग्लहं त्वेकं शृणु भो भरतर्षभ।॥
Shakuni said O best of the Bharata race the old king has given you back all your wealth. That is well. But listen to me, there is a stake of great value.
वयं वा द्वादशाब्दानि युष्माभि तनिर्जिताः। प्रविशेम महारण्यं रौरवाजिनवाससः॥ त्रयोदशं च सजने अज्ञाताः परिवत्सरम्। ज्ञाताश्च पुनरन्यानि वने वर्षाणि द्वादश॥
(It is this), If we are defeated by you at dice, we shall enter the great forest attired in deer skins and live there for twelve years and pass the thirteenth years in some inhabited place unrecognised. If recognised, we shall return to the exile of another twelve years.
अस्माभिर्निर्जिता यूयं वने द्वादश वत्सरान्। वसध्वं कृष्णया सार्धमजिनैः प्रतिवासिताः॥ त्रयोदशं च सजने अज्ञाताः परिवत्सरम्। ज्ञाताश्च पुनरन्यानि वने वर्षाणि द्वादश॥ त्रयोदशे च निर्वृत्ते पुनरेव यथोचितम्। स्वराज्यं प्रतिपत्तव्यमितरैरथवेतरैः॥
(On the other hand), if you be defeated by us, you shall with Krishna (Draupadi) live for twelve years in the forest and pass the whole of the thirteenth year unrecognised in an inhabited country. If recognised, an exile of another twelve years is to be the consequence. On the expiry of the thirteenth year, each is to have his kingdom surrendered to the other.
अनेन व्यवसायेन सहास्माभिर्युधिष्ठिर। अक्षानुप्त्वा पुन तमेहि दीव्यस्व भारत॥
O Yudhishthira, O descendant of Bharata, with such stake, play with us again by throwing the dice.
अथ सभ्याः सभामध्ये समुच्छ्रितकरास्तदा। ऊचुरुद्विग्नमनसः संवेगात् सर्व एव हि॥
Vaishampayana said Thereupon those that were present in the Sabha raising up their arms, said in great anxiety of mind and in great emotion.
सभ्या ऊचुः अहो धिग बान्धवा नैनं बोधयन्ति महद् भयम्। बुद्ध्या बुध्येन्न वा बुध्येदयं वै भरतर्षभः॥
"Alas! Fie on the friends of Dhritarashtra that they do not tell him of his great danger! O best of the Bharata race (Dhritarashtra), whether he understand or not out of his own sense, it is your duty to tell him plainly.
वैशम्पायन उवाच जनप्रवादान् सुबहूण्वन्नपि नराधिपः। हिया च धर्म संयोगात् पार्थो द्यूतमियात् पुनः॥
The king, the son of Pritha (Yudhisthira) even hearing these various remarks again sat at dice from shame and sense of (Kshatriyas) duty.
जानन्नपि महाबुद्धिः पुन तमवर्तयत्। अप्यासन्नो विनाशः स्यात् कुरूणामिति चिन्तयन्॥
Full you knowing the consequence, the greatly intelligent one (Yudhisthira) again began to play, as if he was fully aware that the destruction of the Kurus were inevitably near at hand.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं वै मद्विधो राजा स्वधर्ममनुपालयन्। आहूतो विनिवर्तेत दीव्यामि शकुने त्वया॥
Yudhisthira said. O Shakuni, how can a king like me who always observe the duty of his order refuse when challenged to dice? Therefore, I shall (again) play with you.
शकुनिरुवाच गवावं बहुधेनूकमपर्यन्तमजाविकम्। गजाः कोशो हिरण्यं च दासीदासाश्च सर्वशः॥ एष नो ग्लह एवैको वनवासाय पाण्डवाः। यूयं वयं वा विजिता वसेम वनमाश्रिताः॥ त्रयोदशं च वै वर्षमज्ञाताः सजने तथा। अनेन व्यवसायेन दीव्याम पुरुषर्षभाः॥
Shakuni said. O son of Pandu, we have many kine and horse and milch cows and innumerable goats and sheep and elephants, treasures, gold and servants, both male and female. All these have been staked by us before. But now let this be our stake, namely exile into forest (for twelve years) and then living in the thirteenth year unrecognised in an inhabited place. O foremost of men, with this stake let us (now ) play.
समुत्क्षेपेण चैकेन वनवासाय भारत। प्रतिजग्राह तं पार्थो ग्लहं जग्राह सौबलः। जितमित्येव शकुनियुधिष्ठिरमभाषत॥
Vaishampayana said O descendant of Bharata, when this proposa about going to the forest was but once uttered, the of Pritha (Yudhisthira) accepted it; and the son of Subala (Shakuni) (then) took up the dice. (Finally) Shakuni said to Yudhisthira, "Lo! I have won!" son