13. GAMBLING IS EVIL

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > AARANYA PARVA > ARJUNAABHIGAMANA PARVA > CHAPTER 13 - GAMBLING IS EVIL

“Vaasudeva said, ‘O lord of earth (Yudhishthira), if I had been present at Dwaaraka, then, O king (Yudhishthira), this evil would not have happened to you! O indestructible one, coming to the gambling-match, even if uninvited by the son of Ambika (Dhritarashtra), or Duryodhana, or by the other Kauravaas, I would have prevented the game from taking place, by showing its many evils, summoning to my aid Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and Baahlika (Baahlika is the elder brother Bhishma’s father Shantanu)! O noble one, for your sake I would have told the son of Vichitraveerya (Dhritarashtra), O foremost of monarchs, let your sons have nothing to do with dice! I would have shown the many evils (of dice) through which you have fallen into such distress and the son of Veerasena was formerly deprived of his kingdom! O king (Yudhishthira), no thought of evils, occur a man from dice! I would have described how a man once engaged in the game continues to play (from desire of victory). Women, dice (gambling), hunting and drinking to which people become addicted in consequence of temptation, have been regarded as the four evils that deprive a man of prosperity. Those versed in the Shaastraas are of opinion that evils attend upon all these. They also that are addicted to dice know all its evils.

“O you of mighty arms (Yudhishthira), appearing before the son of Ambika (Dhritarashtra), I would have pointed out that through dice men in a day lose their possessions, and fall into distress, and are deprived of their untasted wealth, and exchange harsh words! O preserver of the Kuru race, I would have pointed out these and other following evils! If he (Dhritarashtra) had accepted my words thus addressed, the welfare of the Kurus and also Dharma itself would both have been secured! O foremost of kings (Yudhishthira), if he had rejected my gentle counsels offered as medicine, then, O best of the Bharata race, I would have compelled him by force! If those who wait at his court, professing to be his friends but in reality his enemies, had supported him, then I would have slain them all, along with those gamblers, there present! O Kauravya (Yudhishthira), it is owing to my absence from the Aanartta country at that time that you had fallen into such distress created of dice! O you best of Kurus, O Paandavaa (Yudhishthira), on arriving at Dwaarka I learnt from Yuyudhaana (Saatyaki) all about your calamity! O foremost of kings, I directly heard it with a heart painfully agitated by grief, I have speedily come here wishing to see you, O king! Alas! O bull of the Bharata race, you all have fallen into terrible distress! I see you with your brothers plunged in misfortune!’”