The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1

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"Duryodhana replied,--'Men of the most ancient times invented the use of
dice. There is no destruction in it, nor is there any striking with,
weapons. Let the words of Sakuni, therefore, be acceptable to thee, and
let thy command be issued for the speedy construction of the assembly
house. The door of heaven, leading us to such happiness, will be opened
to us by gambling. Indeed, they that betake to gambling (with such aid)
deserve such good fortune. The Pandavas then will become thy equals
(instead of, as now, superiors); therefore, gamble thou with the Pandavas.

"Dhritarashtra said.--'The words uttered by thee do not recommend
themselves to me. Do what may be agreeable to thee, O ruler of men. But
thou shall have to repent for acting according to these words; for, words
that are fraught with such immorality can never bring prosperity in the
future. Even this was foreseen by the learned Vidura ever treading the
path of truth and wisdom. Even the great calamity, destructive of the
lives of the Kshatriyas, cometh as destined by fate.'"

Vaisampayana continued--"Having said this, the weak-minded Dhritarashtra
regarded fate as supreme and unavoidable. And the king deprived of reason
by Fate, and obedient to the counsels of his son, commanded his men in
loud voice, saying--'Carefully construct, without loss of time, an
assembly house of the most beautiful description, to be called the
crystal-arched palace with a thousand columns, decked with gold and lapis
lazuli, furnished with a hundred gates, and full two miles in length and
in breadth the same.' Hearing those words of his, thousands of artificers
endued with intelligence and skill soon erected the palace with the
greatest alacrity, and having erected it brought thither every kind of
article. And soon after they cheerfully represented unto the king that
the palace had been finished, and that it as delightful and handsome and
furnished with every kind of gems and covered with many-coloured carpets
inlaid with gold. Then king Dhritarashtra, possessed of learning,
summoning Vidura the chief of his ministers, said:--'Repairing, (to
Khandavaprastha), bring prince Yudhishthira here without loss of time.
Let him come hither with his brothers, and behold his handsome assembly
house of mine, furnished with countless jewels and gems, and costly beds
and carpets, and let a friendly match at dice commence here.'"

SECTION LVI

Vaisampayana said,--"King Dhritarashtra, ascertaining the inclinations of
his son and knowing that Fate is inevitable, did what I have said.
Vidura, however, that foremost of intelligent men, approved not his
brother's words and spoke thus, 'I approve not, O king, of this command
of thine. Do not act so. I fear, this will bring about the destruction of
our race. When thy sons lose their unity, dissension will certainly ensue
amongst them. This I apprehend, O king, from this match at dice.'

"Dhritarashtra said,--'If Fate be not hostile, this quarrel will not
certainly grieve me. The whole universe moveth at the will of its
Creator, under the controlling influence of Fate. It is not free.
Therefore, O Vidura, going unto king Yudhishthira at my command, bring
thou soon that invincible son of Kunti.'"

SECTION LVII

Vaisampayana said,--"Vidura then, thus commanded against his will by king
Dhritarashtra, set out, with the help of horses of high mettle and endued
with great speed and strength, and quiet and patient, for the abode of
the wise sons of Pandu. Possessed of great intelligence, Vidura proceeded
by the way leading to the capital of the Pandavas. And having arrived at
the city of king Yudhishthira, he entered it and proceeded towards the
palace, worshipped by numberless Brahmanas. And coming to the palace
which was even like unto the mansion of Kuvera himself, the virtuous
Vidura approached Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma. Then the illustrious
Ajamida devoted to truth and having no enemy on earth, reverentially
saluted Vidura, and asked him about Dhritarashtra and his sons. And
Yudhishthira said, "O Kshatta, thy mind seemeth to be cheerless. Dost
thou come here in happiness and peace? The sons of Dhritarashtra, I hope,
are obedient to their old father. The people also, I hope, are obedient
to Dhritarashtra's rule.'

"Vidura said,--'The illustrious king, with his sons, is well and happy,
and surrounded by his relatives he reigneth even like Indra himself. 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. The
king of the Kurus hath commanded me to enquire after thy peace and
prosperity, and to ask thee to repair to Hastinapore with thy brothers
and to say, after beholding king Dhritarashtra's newly erected palace,
whether that one is equal to thy own. Repairing thither, O son of Pritha,
with thy brothers, enjoy ye in that mansion and sit to a friendly match
at dice. We shall be glad if thou goest, as the Kurus have already
arrived there. And thou wilt see there those gamblers and cheats that the
illustrious king Dhritarashtra hath already brought thither. It is for
this, O king, that I have come hither. Let the king's command be approved
by thee.

"Yudhishthira said,--'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?
What dost thou think fit for us? We all are obedient to thy counsels.'

"Vidura said,--'I know that gambling is the root of misery, and I strove
to dissuade the king from it. The king, however, hath sent me to thee.
Having known all this, O learned one, do what is beneficial.

"Yudhishthira said,--'Besides the sons of Dhritarashtra what other
dishonest gamblers are there ready for play? Tell us, O Vidura, who they
are and with whom we shall have to play, staking hundreds upon hundreds
of our possessions.'

"Vidura said,--'O monarch, Sakuni, the king of Gandhara, an adept at
dice, having great skill of hand and desperate in stakes, Vivingati, king
Chitrasena, Satyavrata, Purumitra and Jaya, these, O king, are there.'

"Yudhishthira said,--'It would seem then that some of the most desperate
and terrible gamblers always depending upon deceit are there. This whole
universe, however, is at the will of its Maker, under the control of
fate. It is not free. O learned one, I do not desire, at the command of
king Dhritarashtra to engage myself in gambling. The father always
wisheth to benefit his son. Thou art our master, O Vidura. Tell me what
is proper for us. Unwilling as I am to gamble, I will not do so, if the
wicked Sakuni doth not summon me to it in the Sabha? If, however, he
challengeth me, I will never refuse. For that, as settled, is my eternal
vow."

Vaisampayana continued,--"King Yudhishthira the just having said this
unto Vidura, commanded that preparations for his journey might be made
without loss of time. And the next day, the king accompanied by his
relatives and attendants and taking with him also the women of the
household with Draupadi in their midst, set out for the capital of the
Kurus. 'Like some brilliant body falling before the eyes, Fate depriveth
us of reason, and man, tied as it were with a cord, submitteth to the
sway of Providence,' saying this, king Yudhishthira, that chastiser of
the foe, set out with Kshatta, without deliberating upon that summons
from Dhritarashtra. And that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Pandu
and Pritha, riding upon the car that had been given him by the king of
Valhika, and attired also in royal robes, set out with his brothers. And
the king, blazing as it were with royal splendour, with Brahmanas walking
before him, set out from his city, summoned by Dhritarashtra and impelled
by what hath been ordained by Kala (Time). And arriving at Hastinapore he
went to the palace of Dhritarashtra. And going there, the son of Pandu
approached the king. And the exalted one then approached Bhishma and
Drona and Karna, and Kripa, and the son of Drona, and embraced and was
embraced by them all. And the mighty-armed one, endued with great
prowess, then approached Somadatta, and then Duryodhana and Salya, and
the son of Suvala, and those other kings also that had arrived there
before him. The king then went to the brave Dusshasana and then to all
his (other) brothers and then to Jayadratha and next to all the Kurus one
after another. And the mighty-armed one, then surrounded by all his
brothers, entered the apartment of the wise king Dhritarashtra. And then
Yudhishthira beheld the reverend Gandhari, ever obedient to her lord, and
surrounded by her daughters-in-law like Rohini by the stars. And saluting
Gandhari and blessed by her in return, the king then beheld his old
uncle, that illustrious monarch whose wisdom was his eye. King
Dhritarashtra then, O monarch, smelt his head as also the heads of those
four other princes of the Kuru race, viz., the sons of Pandu with
Bhimasena as their eldest. And, O king, beholding--the handsome Pandava
those tigers among men, all the Kurus became exceedingly glad. And
commanded by the king, the Pandavas then retired to the chambers allotted
to them and which were all furnished with jewels and gems. And when they
had retired into the chambers, the women of Dhritarashtra's household
with Dussala taking the lead visited them. And the daughters-in-law of
Dhritarashtra beholding the blazing and splendid beauty and prosperity of
Yajnaseni, became cheerless and filled with jealousy. And those tigers
among men, having conversed with the ladies went through their daily
physical exercises and then performed the religious rites of the day. And
having finished their daily devotions, they decked their persons with
sandal paste of the most fragrant kind. And desiring to secure good luck
and prosperity they caused (by gifts) the Brahmanas to utter
benedictions. And then eating food that was of the best taste they
retired to their chambers for the night. And those bulls among the Kurus
then were put to sleep with music by handsome females. And obtaining from
them what came in due succession, those subjugators of hostile towns
passed with cheerful hearts that delightful night in pleasure and sport.
And waked by the bards with sweet music, they rose from their beds, and
having passed the night thus in happiness, they rose at dawn and having
gone through the usual rites, they entered into the assembly house and
were saluted by those that were ready there for gambling."

SECTION LVIII

Vaisampayana said,--"The sons of Pritha with Yudhishthira at their head,
having entered that assembly house, approached all the kings that were
present there. And worshipping all those that deserved to be worshipped,
and saluting others as each deserved according to age, they seated
themselves on seats that were clean and furnished with costly carpets.
After they had taken their seats, as also all the kings, Sakuni the son
of Suvala addressed Yudhishthira and said, 'O king, the assembly is full.
All had been waiting for thee. Let, therefore, the dice be cast and the
rules of play be fixed, O Yudhishthira.'

'Yudhishthira replied, 'Deceitful gambling is sinful. There is no
Kshatriya prowess in it. There is certainly no morality in it. Why, then,
O king, dost thou praise gambling so? The wise applaud not the pride that
gamesters feel in deceitful play. O Sakuni, vanquish us, not like a
wretch, by deceitful means.'

Sakuni said,--'That high-souled player who knoweth the secrets of winning
and losing, who is skilled in baffling the deceitful arts of his
confrere, who is united in all the diverse operations of which gambling
consisteth, truly knoweth the play, and he suffereth all in course of it.
O son of Pritha, 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. Let us, therefore, O king, begin the play. Fear not. Let the
stakes be fixed. Delay not!'

"Yudhishthira said,--'That best of Munis, Devala, the son of Asita, who
always instructeth us about all those acts that may lead to heaven, hell,
or the other regions, hath said, that it is sinful to play deceitfully
with a gamester. To obtain victory in battle without cunning or stratagem
is the best sport. 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. War carried on without
crookedness and cunning, this is the act of men that are honest. Do not,
O Sakuni, playing desperately, win of us that wealth with which according
to our abilities, we strive to learn how to benefit the Brahmanas. Even
enemies should not be vanquished by desperate stakes in deceitful play. I
do not desire either happiness or wealth by means of cunning. The conduct
of one that is a gamester, even if it be without deceitfulness, should
not be applauded.'

"Sakuni said,--'O Yudhishthira, 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 Yudhishthira, 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 Yudhishthira, 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
Yudhishthira. If, therefore, thou, in approaching me, regardest me to be
actuated by motives that are dishonest, if thou art under any fear,
desist then from play.'

"Yudhishthira said,--'Summoned, I do not withdraw. This is my established
vow. And, O king, Fate is all powerful. We all are under the control of
Destiny. With whom in this assembly am I to play? Who is there that can
stake equally with me? Let the play begin.'

"Duryodhana said,--'O monarch, I shall supply jewels and gems and every
kind of wealth. And it is for me that this Sakuni, my uncle, will play.'

"Yudhishthira said,--'Gambling for one's sake by the agency of another
seemeth to me to be contrary to rule. Thou also, O learned one, will
admit this. If, however, thou art still bent on it, let the play begin.'"

SECTION LIX

Vaisampayana said,--"When the play commenced, all those kings with
Dhritarashtra at their head took their seats in that assembly. And, O
Bharata, Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and the high-souled Vidura with
cheerless hearts sat behind. And those kings with leonine necks and
endued with great energy took their seats separately and in pairs upon
many elevated seats of beautiful make and colour. And, O king, that
mansion looked resplendent with those assembled kings like heaven itself
with a conclave of the celestials of great good fortune. And they were
all conversant with the Vedas and brave and of resplendent countenances.
And, O great king, the friendly match at dice then commenced.

Yudhishthira said,--"O king, this excellent wealth of pearls of great
value, procured from the ocean by churning it (of old), so beautiful and
decked with pure gold, this, O king, is my stake. What is thy counter
stake, O great king,--the wealth with which thou wishest to play with me?"

"Duryodhana said,--'I have many jewels and much wealth. But I am not vain
of them. Win thou this stake.'

Vaisampayana continued,--"Then Sakuni, well-skilled at dice, took up the
dice and (casting them) said unto Yudhishthira, 'Lo, I have won!'"

SECTION LX

Yudhishthira said,--"Thou hast won this stake of me by unfair means. But
be not so proud, O Sakuni. Let us play staking thousands upon thousands.
I have many beautiful jars each full of a thousand Nishkas in my
treasury, inexhaustible gold, and much silver and other minerals. This, O
king, is the wealth with which I will stake with thee!'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"Thus addressed, Sakuni said unto the chief of
the perpetuators of the Kuru race, the eldest of the sons of Pandu, king
Yudhishthira, of glory incapable of sustaining any diminution. 'Lo, I
have won!'"

Yudhishthira said,--'This my sacred and victorious and royal car which
gladdeneth the heart and hath carried us hither, which is equal unto a
thousand cars, which is of symmetrical proportions and covered with
tiger-skin, and furnished with excellent wheels and flag-staffs which is
handsome, and decked with strings of little bells, whose clatter is even
like the roar of the clouds or of the ocean, and which is drawn by eight
noble steeds known all over the kingdom and which are white as the
moon-beam and from whose hoofs no terrestrial creature can escape--this,
O king, is my wealth with which I will stake with thee!'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing these words, Sakuni ready with the
dice, and adopting unfair means, said unto Yudhishthira, 'Lo, I have won!'

"Yudhishthira said,--'I have a hundred thousand serving-girls, all young,
and decked with golden bracelets on their wrists and upper arms, and with
nishkas round their necks and other ornaments, adorned with costly
garlands and attired in rich robes, daubed with the sandal paste, wearing
jewels and gold, and well-skilled in the four and sixty elegant arts,
especially versed in dancing and singing, and who wait upon and serve at
my command the celestials, the Snataka Brahmanas, and kings. With this
wealth, O king, I will stake with thee!'"

Vaisampayana continued,--'Hearing these words, Sakuni ready with the
dice, adopting unfair means, said unto Yudhishthira. 'Lo, I have won!'

Yudhishthira said,--"I have thousands of serving-men, skilled in waiting
upon guests, always attired in silken robes, endued with wisdom and
intelligence, their senses under control though young, and decked with
ear-rings, and who serve all guests night and day with plates and dishes
in hand. With this wealth, O king, I will stake with thee!'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing these words, Sakuni, ready with the
dice, adopting unfair means said unto Yudhishthira, 'Lo, I have won!'

"Yudhishthira said,--'I have, O son of Suvala, one thousand musty
elephants with golden girdles, decked with ornaments, with the mark of
the lotus on their temples and necks and other parts, adorned with golden
garlands, with fine white tusks long and thick as plough-shafts, worthy
of carrying kings on their backs, capable of bearing every kind of noise
on the field of battle, with huge bodies, capable of battering down the
walls of hostile towns, of the colour of new-formed clouds, and each
possessing eight she-elephants. With this wealth, O king, I will stake
with thee.'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"Unto Yudhishthira who had said so, Sakuni, the
son of Suvala, laughingly said, 'Lo, I have won it!'

Yudhishthira said,--'I have as many cars as elephants, all furnished with
golden poles and flag-staffs and well-trained horses and warriors that
fight wonderfully and each of whom receiveth a thousand coins as his
monthly pay whether he fighteth or not. With this wealth, O king, I will
stake with thee!'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"When these words had been spoken, the wretch
Sakuni, pledged to enmity, said unto Yudhishthira, 'Lo, I have won it.'

Yudhishthira said.--'The steeds of the Tittiri, Kalmasha, and Gandharva
breeds, decked with ornaments, which Chitraratha having been vanquished
in battle and subdued cheerfully gave unto Arjuna, the wielder of the
Gandiva. With this wealth, O king, I will stake with thee."

Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing this, Sakuni, ready at dice, adopting
unfair means, said unto Yudhishthira: 'Lo, I have won!'

Yudhishthira said,--'I have ten thousand cars and vehicles unto which are
yoked draught animals of the foremost breed. And I have also sixty
thousand warriors picked from each order by thousands, who are all brave
and endued with prowess like heroes, who drink milk and eat good rice,
and all of whom have broad chests. With this wealth, O king, I will stake
with thee.'

Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing this, Sakuni ready at dice, adopting
unfair means said unto Yudhishthira, 'Lo, I have won!'

Yudhishthira said,--'I have four hundred Nidis (jewels of great value)
encased in sheets of copper and iron. Each one of them is equal to five
draunikas of the costliest and purest leaf gold of the Jatarupa kind.
With this wealth, O king, I will stake with thee.'"

Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing this, Sakuni ready at dice, adopting
foul means, said unto Yudhishthira, 'Lo, I have won it!'"

SECTION LXI

Vaisampayana said,--"During the course of this gambling, certain to bring
about utter ruin (on Yudhishthira), Vidura, that dispeller of all doubts,
(addressing Dhritarashtra) said, 'O great king, O thou of the Bharata
race, attend to what I say, although my words may not be agreeable to
thee, like medicine to one that is ill and about to breathe his last.
When this Duryodhana of sinful mind had, immediately after his birth,
cried discordantly like a jackal, it was well known that he had been
ordained to bring about the destruction of the Bharata race. Know, O
king, that he will be the cause of death of ye all. A jackal is living in
thy house, O king, in the form of Duryodhana. Thou knowest it not in
consequence of thy folly. Listen now to the words of the Poet (Sukra)
which I will quote. They that collect honey (in mountains), having
received what they seek, do not notice that they are about to fall.
Ascending dangerous heights, abstracted in the pursuit of what they seek,
they fall down and meet with destruction. This Duryodhana also, maddened
with the play at dice, like the collector of honey, abstracted in what he
seeketh, marketh not the consequences. Making enemies of these great
warriors, he beholdeth not the fall that is before him. It is known to
thee, O thou of great wisdom, that amongst the Bhojas, they abandoned,
for the good of the citizens a son that was unworthy of their race. The
Andhakas, the Yadavas, and the Bhojas uniting together, abandoned Kansa.
And afterwards, when at the command of the whole tribe, the same Kansa
had been slain by Krishna that slayer of foes, all the men of the tribe
became exceedingly happy for a hundred years. So at thy command, let
Arjuna slay this Suyodhana. And in consequence of the slaying of this
wretch, let the Kurus be glad and pass their days in happiness. In
exchange of a crow, O great king, buy these peacocks--the Pandavas; and
in exchange of a jackal, buy these tigers. For the sake of a family a
member may be sacrificed; for the sake of a village a family may be
sacrificed, for the sake of a province a village may be sacrificed and
for the sake of one's own soul the whole earth may be sacrificed. Even
this was what the omniscient Kavya himself, acquainted with the thoughts
of every creature, and a source of terror unto all foes, said unto the
great Asuras to induce them to abandon Jambha at the moment of his birth.
It is said that a certain king, having caused a number of wild birds that
vomited gold to take up their quarters in his own house, afterwards
killed them from temptation. O slayer of foes, blinded by temptation and
the desire of enjoyment, for the sake of gold, the king destroyed at the
same time both his present and future gains. Therefore, O king, prosecute
not the Pandavas from desire of profit, even like the king in story. For
then, blinded by folly thou wilt have to repent afterwards, even like the
person that killed the birds. Like a flower-seller that plucketh (many
flowers) in the garden from trees that he cherisheth with affection from
day to day, continue, O Bharata, to pluck flowers day by day from the
Pandavas. Do not scorch them to their roots like a fire-producing breeze
that reduceth everything to black charcoal. Go not, O king, unto the
region of Yama, with thy sons and troops, for who is there that is
capable of fighting with the sons of Pritha, together? Not to speak of
others, is the chief of the celestials at the head of the celestials
themselves, capable of doing so?"

SECTION LXII

"Vidura said,--"Gambling is the root of dissensions. It bringeth about
disunion. Its consequences are frightful. Yet having recourse to this,
Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana createth for himself fierce enmity. The
descendants of Pratipa and Santanu, with their fierce troops and their
allies the Vahlikas, will, for the sins of Duryodhana meet with
destruction. Duryodhana, in consequence of this intoxication, forcibly
driveth away luck and prosperity from his kingdom, even like an infuriate
bull breaking his own horns himself. That brave and learned person who
disregarding his own foresight, followeth, O king, (the bent of) another
man's heart, sinketh in terrible affliction even like one that goeth into
the sea in a boat guided by a child. Duryodhana is gambling with the son
of Pandu, and thou art in raptures that he is winning. And it is such
success that begeteth war, which endeth in the destruction of men. This
fascination (of gambling) that thou has well-devised only leadeth to dire
results. Thus hast thou simply brought on by these counsels great
affliction to thy heart. And this thy quarrel with Yudhishthira, who is
so closely related to thee, even if thou hadst not foreseen it, is still
approved by thee. Listen, ye sons of Santanu, ye descendants of Pratipa,
who are now in this assembly of the Kauravas, to these words of wisdom.
Enter ye not into the terrible fire that hath blazed forth following the
wretch. When Ajatasatru, the son of Pandu, intoxicated with dice, giveth
way to his wrath, and Vrikodara and Arjuna and the twins (do the same),
who, in that hour of confusion, will prove your refuge? O great king,
thou art thyself a mine of wealth. Thou canst earn (by other means) as
much wealth as thou seekest to earn by gambling. What dost thou gain by
winning from the Pandavas their vast wealth? Win the Pandavas themselves,
who will be to thee more than all the wealth they have. We all know the
skill of Suvala in play. This hill-king knoweth many nefarious methods in
gambling. Let Sakuni return whence he came. War not, O Bharata, with the
sons of Pandu!'