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(The Fatal Dice)
DURYODHAN came back from the Imperial Sacrifice filled with jealousy against
Yudhishthir, and devised plans to effect his fall. Sakuni, prince of Gandhara,
shared Duryodhan's hatred towards the sons of Pandu, and helped him in his dark
scheme. Yudhishthir with all his piety and righteousness had one weakness, the
love of gambling, which was one of the besetting sins of the monarchs of the
day. Sakuni was an expert at false dice, and challenged Yudhishthir, and
Yudhishthir held it a point of honour not to decline such a challenge.
He came from his new capital, Indra-prastha, to Hastina-pura the capital of
Duryodhan, with his mother and brothers and Draupadi. And as Yudhishthir lost
game after game, he was stung with his losses, and with the recklessness of a
gambler still went on with the fatal game. His wealth and hoarded gold and
jewels, his steeds, elephants and cars, his slaves male and female, his empire
and possessions, were all staked and lost!
The madness increased, and Yudhishthir staked his brothers, and then
himself, and then the fair Draupadi, and lost! And thus the Emperor of
Indra-prastha and his family were deprived of every possession on earth, and
became the bond-slaves of Duryodhan. The old king Dhrita-rashtra released them from
actual slavery, but the five brothers retired to forests as homeless exiles.
Portions of Section lxv. and the whole of Sections lxix., lxxvi., and
lxxvii. of Book ii. of the original text have been translated in this Book.
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