DHRITARASHTRA'S APPROVAL TO THE PLAN

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > SABHA PARVA > DYOOTA PARVA > CHAPTER 48 - DHRITARASHTA'S APPROVAL TO THE PLAN

“Vaishampaayana said ‘O king (Janamejaya), impressed with the great Raajasooya yagna of king Yudhishthira, Shakuni – the son of Subala, having learnt before the intentions of Duryodhana, while accompanying him in the way from the sabga, and desirous of saying what was agreeable to him, approached (King) Dhritarashtra filled with great wisdom, and finding the monarch deprived of his eye seated (in his throne), told him these words, ‘Know, O great king (Dhritarashtra), O bull of the Bharata race, that Duryodhana, having lost colour, has become pale, weak, depressed and a prey to anxiety. Why do you not, after due enquiry, discover the grief that is in the heart of your eldest son, the grief that is caused by the enemy?’

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Duryodhana, what is the reason of your great pain, O son of the Kuru race? If it is fit for me to hear it, then tell me the reason. This Shakuni here says that you have lost colour, become pale, weak, and a prey to anxiety. I do not know what can be the reason of the sorrow. This vast wealth of mine is at your control. Your brothers and all our relations never do anything that is disagreeable to you. You wear the best clothes and eat the best food that is prepared with meat. The best of horse carries you. What it is, therefore, that has made you pale and weak? Costly beds, beautiful ladies, mansions decorated with excellent furniture, and sport of the delightful kind, without doubt these all wait at your command, as in the case of Devas themselves. Therefore, O proud one, why do you grieve, O son, as if you were poor.’

“Duryodhana said, ‘I eat and dress myself like a wretch and pass my time all the while a prey to fierce jealousy. He indeed is a man, who is unable to bear the pride of the enemy, lives having vanquished that enemy with the desire of liberating his own subjects from the tyranny of the enemy. O Bharata, contentment and pride, are destructive of prosperity; and those other two qualities are compassion and fear. One who acts under the influence of these, never obtains anything high. Having seen Yudhishthira’s prosperity, whatever I enjoy brings me no satisfaction. The prosperity of Kunti’s son (Yudhishthira) that is possessed of such splendour makes me pale. Knowing the affluence of the enemy and my own poverty, even though that affluence is not before me, I yet see it before me. Therefore, have I lost colour and become sad, pale and weak.

“Yudhishthira supports eighty-eight thousand (88,000) Snataka Brahmanas leading domestic lives (Grihamedhina in Sanskrit), giving to each of them thirty slave-girls (Daasika in Sanskrit). Beside this, thousand other Brahmanas daily eat at his palace the best of food on golden plates. The king of Kaambhoja (possibly Cambodia) sent to him (as tribute) innumerable skins, black, darkish, and red, of the deer Kadali, and also numerous blankets of excellent textures. Hundreds thousand and thousands (100,000,000) of female-elephants and thirty thousand (30,000) female-camels wander within the palace, for the kings of the earth brought them all as tribute to the capital of the Paandavaas. O lord of earth (Dhritarashtra), the kings also brought to this foremost of yagnas heaps upon heaps of jewels and gems for the son of Kunti (Yudhishthira). Never before did I see or hear of such enormous wealth as was brought to the yagna of the intelligent Paandavaas. O king (Dhritarashtra), seeing that enormous collection of wealth belonging to the enemy (Paandavaas), I can not enjoy peace of mind.

“Hundreds of Brahmanas supported by the grants that Yudhishthira has given them and possessing wealth of cows, waited at the palace gate with three thousands of millions of tribute but were prevented by the keepers from entering the sabha. Bringing with them clarified butter in handsome Kamandalus made of gold, they did not obtain admission into the palace, and Ocean himself brought to him (Yudhishthira) in vessels of white copper the Amrita (divine ambrosia in English) that is generated within his waters and which is much superior to that which flowers and annual plants produce for Shakra (Lord Indra). Vaasudeva (Sri Krishna) (at the conclusion of the yagna) having brought an excellent conch (Shankha in Sanskrit) bathed the Paarthaa (Yudhishthira) with sea water brought in thousand jars of gold, all well adorned with numerous gems.

“Seeing all this I became feverish with jealousy. Those jars had been taken to the Eastern and the Southern oceans. They had also been taken on the shoulders of men to the Western ocean, O bull among men (Dhritarashtra). O father (Dhritarashtra), although none but birds only can go to the Northern region Arjuna, having gone there, exacted as tribute a vast quantity of wealth. There is another wonderful incident also which I will relate to you, O, listen to me. When a hundred thousand Brahmanas were fed, it had been arranged that to notify this act every day conches (Shankha in Sanskrit) would be blown in a chorus. But, O Bharata (Dhritarashtra), I continually heard conches (Shankha in Sanskit) blown there almost repeatedly. Hearing those notes my hair stood straight. O great king (Dhritarashtra), that palatial compound, filled with innumerable monarchs that came there as spectators, looked exceedingly beautiful like the cloudless sky with stars. O king of men (Dhritarashtra), the monarchs came into that yagna of the wise Paandavaa (Yudhishthira) bringing with them every kind of wealth. The kings that came there became like Vaishyaas the distributors of food to the Dwijaas that were fed. O king (Dhritarashtra), the prosperity that I saw of Yudhishthira was such that neither the chief of Devas (Lord Indra) nor Yama nor Varuna nor the lord of the Guhyakaas (Kubera) owns the same. Seeing that great prosperity of the son of Paandu (Yudhishthira), my heart burns and I cannot enjoy peace.’

“Hearing these words of Duryodhana, Shakuni replied, ‘Hear you how may obtain this unrivalled prosperity that you see in the Paandavaa (Yudhishthira), O you that have truth for your prowess (Duryodhana) (Satya Paraakrama in Sanskrit). O Bharata (Duryodhana), I am an expert at dice (Dyoota in Sanskrit), superior to all in the world. I can discover the success or otherwise (failure) of every throw, and when to bet and when not. I have special knowledge of the game. The Son of Kunti (Yudhishthira) is also fond of dice playing though he possesses little skill in it. Summoned to play or battle, he is sure to come forward, and I will defeat him repeatedly at every throw by practising deception. I promise to win all that wealth of his, and you, O Duryodhana, shall then enjoy the same.’”

“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘King Duryodhana, thus addressed by Shakuni, without allowing a moment to elapse, said to (King) Dhritarashtra, ‘This, Shakuni, an expert at dice (Dyoota in Sanskrit), is ready to win at dice, O king (Dhritarashtra), the wealth of the Paandavaas. It is your duty to grant him permission to do so.’

“Dhritarashtra replied, ‘I always follow the counsels of Kshatta (Vidura), my minister possessed of great wisdom. Having consulted with him, I will inform you what my judgment is in respect of this affair. Filled with great foresight, he (Vidura) will, keeping Dharma before his eyes, tell us what is good and what is proper for both parties, and what should be done in this matter.’

“Duryodhana said, ‘If you consult with Kshatta (Vidura) he will make you to holdback. If you holdback, O king (Dhritarashtra), I will certainly kill myself. When I am dead, O king, you will become happy with Vidura. You will then enjoy the whole earth; what need have you with me?’

“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘Dhritarashtra, hearing these words of pain uttered by Duryodhana from mixed feeling, himself ready to what Duryodhana had dictated, commanded his servant, saying, ‘Let skilled craftsmen be employed to erect without delay a delightful, beautiful and spacious sabha with a hundred doors (Shata Dwaaram in Sanskrit) and a thousand columns (Sahasra Sthoonaa in Sanskrit). Having brought carpenters and joiners, you set jewels and precious stones all over the walls. Making it beautiful and easy of access, report to me when everything is complete.’

“O monarch (Janamejaya), king Dhritarashtra having made this resolution for the pacification of Duryodhana, sent messengers to Vidura for summoning him. For without taking counsel with Vidura never did the monarch (Dhritarashtra) form any resolution. But as regards the matter at hand, the king (Dhritarashtra) although he knew the evils of gambling (Dyoota Dosham in Sanskrit), was yet attracted towards it.

“The intelligent Vidura, however, as soon as he heard of it, knew that the arrival of Kali (yuga) was at hand. Seeing that the way to destruction was about to open, he quickly came to Dhritarashtra. Vidura approaching his illustrious eldest brother (Dhritarashtra) and bowing down to his feet, said these words: ‘O noble king, I do not approve of this resolution that you have formed. It is your duty, O king (Dhritarashtra), to act in such a way that no dispute may arise between your children on account of this gambling match (Dyoota in Sanskrit).’

“Dhritarashtra replied, ‘O Kshatta (Vidura), if Devas be merciful to us, assuredly no dispute will ever arise among my sons. Therefore, auspicious or not, beneficial or otherwise, let this friendly challenge at dice (Dyoota in Sanskrit) proceed. This without doubt is what fate has ordained for us. O son of the Bharata race (Vidura), when I am near, Drona and Bhishma and you too, nothing evil that even Fate might have ordained is likely to happen. Therefore, you go on a chariot attaching to that horses endued with the speed of the wind, so that you may reach Khaandavaprastha today and you bring Yudhishthira with you. O Vidura, I tell that this is my resolution. Tell me nothing. I regard Fate as supreme which brings all this.’

“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra and concluding that his race was doomed, Vidura in great sorrow went to Bhishma with great wisdom.’”