The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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