Chapter 64

“Sakuni said,–‘Thou hast, O Yudhishthira, lost much wealth of thePandavas. If thou hast still anything that thou hast not yet lost to us,O son of Kunti, tell us what it is!”

“Yudhishthira said,–O son of Suvala, I know that I have untold wealth.But why is it, O Sakuni, that thou askest me of my wealth? Let tens ofthousands and millions and millions and tens of millions and hundreds ofmillions and tens of billions and hundreds of billions and trillions andtens of trillions and hundreds of trillions and tens of quadrillions andhundreds of quadrillions and even more wealth be staked by thee. I haveas much. With that wealth, O king, I will play with thee.”

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with the dice, adoptingunfair means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo, I have won!’

‘Yudhishthira said,–‘I have, O son of Suvala, immeasurable kine andhorses and milch cows with calves and goats and sheep in the countryextending from the Parnasa to the eastern bank of the Sindu. With thiswealth, O king, I will play with thee.

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this Sakuni, ready with the dice, adoptingunfair means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo, I have won!’

Yudhishthira said,–‘I have my city, the country, land, the wealth of alldwelling therein except of the Brahmanas, and all those personsthemselves except Brahmanas still remaining to me. With this wealth, Oking, I will play with thee.’

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with the dice, adoptingfoul means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo! I have won.’

“Yudhishthira said,–These princes here, O king, who look resplendent intheir ornaments and their ear-rings and Nishkas and all the royalornaments on their persons are now my wealth. With this wealth, O king, Iplay with thee.

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with his dice, adoptingfoul means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo! I have won them.’

“Yudhishthira said,–‘This Nakula here, of mighty arms and leonine neck,of red eyes and endued with youth, is now my one stake. Know that he ismy wealth.’

Sakuni said,–‘O king Yudhishthira, prince Nakula is dear to thee. He isalready under our subjection. With whom (as stake) wilt thou now play?”

Vaisampayana said,–“Saying this, Sakuni cast those dice, and said untoYudhishthira, ‘Lo! He hath been won by us.’

Yudhishthira said,–“This Sahadeva administereth justice. He hath alsoacquired a reputation for learning in this world. However undeserving hemay be to be staked in play, with him as stake I will play, with such adear object as it, indeed, he were not so!”

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with the dice, adoptingfoul means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo! I have won.’

“Sakuni continued,–‘O king, the sons of Madri, dear unto thee, have bothbeen won by me. It would seem, however, that Bhimasena and Dhananjaya areregarded very much by thee.’

“Yudhishthira said,–‘Wretch! thou actest sinfully in thus seeking tocreate disunion amongst us who are all of one heart, disregardingmorality.’

“Sakuni said,–‘One that is intoxicated falleth into a pit (hell) andstayeth there deprived of the power of motion. Thou art, O king, seniorto us in age, and possessed of the highest accomplishments. O bull of theBharata race, I (beg my pardon and) bow to thee. Thou knowest, OYudhishthira, that gamesters, while excited with play, utter such ravingsthat they never indulge in the like of them in their waking moments noreven in dream.’

“Yudhishthira said,–He that taketh us like a boat to the other shore ofthe sea of battle, he that is ever victorious over foes, the prince whois endued with great activity, he who is the one hero in this world, (ishere). With that Falguna as stake, however, undeserving of being made so,I will now play with thee.'”

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with the dice, adoptingfoul means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo! I have won.’

“Sakuni continued,–‘This foremost of all wielders of the bow, this sonof Pandu capable of using both his hands with equal activity hath nowbeen won by me. O play now with the wealth that is still left unto thee,even with Bhima thy dear brother, as thy stake, O son of Pandu.

“Yudhishthira said,–‘O king, however, undeserving he may be of beingmade a stake, I will now play with thee by staking Bhimasena, that princewho is our leader, who is the foremost in fight,–even like the wielderof the thunder-bolt–the one enemy of the Danavas,–the high-souled onewith leonine neck and arched eye-brows and eyes looking askance, who isincapable of putting up with an insult, who hath no equal in might in theworld, who is the foremost of all wielders of the mace, and who grindethall foes,'”

“Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this, Sakuni, ready with the dice adoptingfoul means, said unto Yudhishthira. ‘Lo! I have won.’

Sakuni continued,–Thou hast, O son of Kunti, lost much wealth, horsesand elephants and thy brothers as well. Say, if thou hast anything whichthou hast not lost.’

Yudhishthira, said–‘I alone, the eldest of all my brothers and dear untothem, am still unwon. Won by thee, I will do what he that is won willhave to do.'”

Vaisampayana said,–“Hearing this Sakuni, ready with the dice, adoptingfoul means, said unto Yudhishthira, ‘Lo! I have won.’

‘Sakuni continued,–‘Thou hast permitted thyself to be won. This is verysinful. There is wealth still left to thee, O king. Therefore, thy havinglost thyself is certainly sinful.'”

Vaisampayana continued,–“Having said this, Sakuni, well-skilled at dice,spoke unto all the brave kings present there of his having won, one afteranother, all the Pandavas. The son of Suvala then, addressingYudhishthira said,–‘O king, there is still one stake dear to thee thatis still unwon. Stake thou Krishna, the princess of Panchala. By her, winthyself back.’

“Yudhishthira said,–‘With Draupadi as stake, who is neither short nortall, neither spare nor corpulent, and who is possessed of blue curlylocks, I will now play with thee. Possessed of eyes like the leaves ofthe autumn lotus, and fragrant also as the autumn lotus, equal in beautyunto her (Lakshmi) who delighteth in autumn lotuses, and unto Sreeherself in symmetry and every grace she is such a woman as a man maydesire for wife in respect of softness of heart, and wealth of beauty andof virtues. Possessed of every accomplishment and compassionate andsweet-speeched, she is such a woman as a man may desire for wife inrespect of her fitness for the acquisition of virtue and pleasure andwealth. Retiring to bed last and waking up first, she looketh after alldown to the cowherds and the shepherds. Her face too, when covered withsweat, looketh as the lotus or the jasmine. Of slender waist like that ofthe wasp, of long flowing locks, of red lips, and body without down, isthe princess of Panchala. O king, making the slender-waisted Draupadi,who is even such as my stake, I will play with thee, O son of Suvala.'”

Vaisampayana continued,–‘When the intelligent king Yudhishthira the justhas spoken thus,–‘Fie!’ ‘Fie!’ were the words that were uttered by allthe aged persons that were in the assembly. And the whole conclave wasagitated, and the kings who were present there all gave way to grief. AndBhishma and Drona and Kripa were covered with perspiration. And Viduraholding his head between his hands sat like one that had lost his reason.He sat with face downwards giving way to his reflections and sighing likea snake. But Dhritarashtra glad, at heart, asked repeatedly, ‘Hath thestake been won?’ ‘Hath the stake been won?’ and could not conceal hisemotions. Karna with Dussassana and others laughed aloud, while tearsbegan to flow from the eyes of all other present in the assembly. And theson of Suvala, proud of success and flurried with excitement andrepeating. Thou hast one stake, dear to thee, etc. said,–‘Lo! I havewon’ and took up the dice that had been cast.”