“I HAVE WON”

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > SABHA PARVA > DYOOTA PARVA > CHAPTER 59 - “I HAVE WON”

“Vaishampaayana said, ‘When the play commenced, all those kings with Dhritarashtra at their head took their seats in that sabha. O Bharata (Janamejaya), Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the highly intelligent Vidura with cheerless hearts sat behind. Those kings with lion-like necks and filled with great energy took their seats separately and in pairs upon many elevated seats of beautiful make and colour. O king (Janamejaya), that sabha looked maginificient with those assembled kings like heaven itself with an assembly of Devas of great good fortune. They were all knowledgeable with the Vedas, brave and of brilliant faces. O great king (Janamejaya), the friendly match at dice then commenced.

“Yudhishthira said, ‘O king, this excellent wealth of pearls of great value, procured from the ocean by churning it, so beautiful and decked with pure gold, this, O king, is my stake. O great king, what is your counter stake, the wealth with which you wish to play with me?’

“Duryodhana said, ‘I have many pearls and much wealth. But I am not vain of them. You win this stake.’

“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘Then Shakuni, well-skilled at dice, took up the dice and (casting them) said to Yudhishthira, ‘Look, I have won (Jitam in Sanskrit)!’”