Said Yudhishthira: “Having been challenged, I cannot withdraw. I fear not to fight or to play with any man.... But first say who doth challenge and who is to lay stakes equally with me.” Then Duryodhana spoke, saying: “O rajah, I will supply jewels and gold and any stakes thou wilt of as great value as thou canst set down. It is for me that Shakuni, my uncle, is to throw the dice.” Said Yudhishthira: “This is indeed a strange challenge. One man is to throw the dice and another is to lay the stakes. Such is contrary to all practice. If, however, thou art determined to play in this fashion, let the game begin.” Well did the Rajah of Indra-prastha know then that the match would not be played fairly. But he sat down, notwithstanding, to throw dice with Shakuni. At the first throw Yudhishthira lost; indeed, he lost at every throw on that fatal day. He gambled away all his money and all his jewels, his jewelled chariot with golden bells, and all his cattle; still he played on, and he lost his thousand war elephants, his slaves and beautiful slave girls, and the remainder of his goods; and next, he staked and lost the whole kingdom of the Pandavas, save the lands which he had gifted to the Brahmans. Nor did he cease to play then, despite the advice offered him by the chieftains who were there. One by one he staked and lost his brethren; and he staked himself and lost also. Said Shakuni: “You have done ill, Yudhishthira, in staking thine own self, for now thou hast become a slave; but if thou wilt stake Draupadi now and win, all that thou hast lost will be restored unto thee.” Yudhishthira said: “So be it. I will stake Draupadi.” At these words the whole company was stricken with horror. Vidura swooned, and the faces of Bhishma and Drona grew pallid; many groaned; but Duryodhana and his brethren rejoiced openly before all men. Shakuni threw the dice, and Yudhishthira lost this the last throw. In this manner was Draupadi won by Duryodhana. Then all the onlookers gazed one upon another in silence and wide-eyed. Karna and Duhsasana[261] and other young princes laughed aloud. [261] _Pron._ doo-sas´a-na. Duryodhana rose proudly and spake unto Vidura, saying: “Now hasten unto Draupadi and bid her to come hither to sweep the chambers with the other bondswomen.” Vidura was made angry, and answered him: “Thy words are wicked, O Duryodhana. Thou canst not command a lady of royal birth to become a household slave. Besides, she is not thy slave, because Yudhishthira did stake his own freedom before he staked Draupadi. Thou couldst not win aught from a slave who had no power to stake the princess.” But Duryodhana cursed Vidura, and bade one of his servants to bring Draupadi before him. Said Vidura: “Duryodhana is this day deprived of his reason. Dishonesty is one of the doors to hell. By practising dishonesty Duryodhana will accomplish yet the ruin of the Kauravas.”