Yudhishthira Gambles Away His Riches, Brothers, Self, and Draupadi

Shakuni asked, “O Yudhishthira! You have lost great riches of the Pandavas. Do you have any other riches that you have not lost yet?” Yudhishthira replied, “I know of unlimited riches that I possess.” He began to name them: ayuta, prayuta, kharva, padma, arbuda, shamkha, nikharva — vast, uncountable sums, an entire ocean of wealth. “These are my riches that I will play with you for.” Shakuni resorted to deceit, cast the dice, and said, “I have won.” Yudhishthira offered more: “I have many cattle, horses, milch cows, sheep and goats, of many species, to the east of the Sindhu river. These are my riches that I will play with you for.” Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” Yudhishthira said, “The riches that I have left are my city, the country, the land of all the non-brahmanas and the non-brahmana subjects. These are my riches that I will play with you for.” Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” Yudhishthira gestured to his brothers. “These princes are resplendent in their ornaments, their earrings, the golden decorations on their breasts. These are my riches that I will play with you for.” Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” Then Yudhishthira began to name them individually. “This dark youth with the red eyes is Nakula, with long arms and the shoulders of a lion. He and everything that he possesses will be one stake.” Shakuni feigned concern. “O King Yudhishthira! But Prince Nakula is dear to you. If he becomes part of our riches, what will you have left to gamble with?” Then he flung the dice. “I have won.” Yudhishthira said, “This Sahadeva is the one who administers dharma. He is known in the worlds as a learned one. Though this beloved prince does not deserve it, I will play with him.” Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” Shakuni prodded him. “I have now won Madri’s two sons, dear to you. But I think you regard Bhimasena and Dhananjaya as dearer.” Yudhishthira rebuked him. “O foolish one! Without regard to what is proper, you are following that which is not dharma. You are trying to create dissension among those who are one of heart.” Shakuni replied with false humility. “O king! O bull among the Bharata lineage! One who is intoxicated falls into a hole and remains there, like the trunk of a tree. You are our elder and our superior. I bow down before you. O Yudhishthira! When gamblers play, they utter mad ravings about what they have not seen, whether asleep or awake.” Yudhishthira spoke again. “Like a boat, he carries us over to the other bank of battle. He is a powerful prince who defeats his enemies. The world knows that this warrior does not deserve it. O Shakuni! I will play with you for Phalguna.” He had staked Arjuna. Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” “Pandava Savyasachi, the foremost archer among the Pandavas, has been won and has become mine,” Shakuni announced. “O king! Now play with your beloved Bhima. That is all you now have left to throw.” Yudhishthira described his brother. “He is our leader and guide in battle. He is like the wielder of the vajra (Indra's thunderbolt), the enemy of the demons. He is great of soul, with slanted eyes and knitted brows. His shoulders are like those of a lion and his anger is long-lasting. There is no other man with strength like his. He is the slayer of enemies and foremost among those who wield the club. O king! Though this prince does not deserve it, I will play with you for Bhimasena.” Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” Shakuni asked again. “O Kounteya! You have lost a great deal of riches. You have lost your brothers, your horses and your elephants. Tell us if there are any riches that you have not yet lost.” Yudhishthira replied, “I myself am left, especially loved by all my brothers. If won over, until the time of destruction, I will do whatever deed I am asked to do.” Shakuni cast the dice. “I have won.” Shakuni chided him. “O king! You have allowed yourself to be won and you have committed the worst evil act. When there are riches left, it is evil to allow oneself to be won.” Then Shakuni pointed to the one thing Yudhishthira had not named. “But you have your beloved queen, who has still not been won in the game. Use Krishna Panchali as a stake and using her, win back yourself.” Yudhishthira began to describe Draupadi. “She is neither too short, nor too tall. She is neither too dark, nor too red. Her eyes are red with love and I will play with you for her. Her eyes are like the petals of lotuses in the autumn. Her fragrance is like that of lotuses in the autumn. Her beauty serves that of lotuses in the autumn. Her beauty is like that of Shri (the goddess of prosperity) herself. Such is her lack of cruelty, her wealth of beauty and the goodness of her conduct, that every man desires her for a wife. She retires to bed last and she is the first one to wake up. She looks after the cowherds and the shepherds. She knows everything about what should be done and what should not be done. When covered with sweat, her face looks like a lotus or a jasmine. Her waist is shaped like an altar. Her hair is long. Her eyes are copper-red. She does not have too much of body hair. O king! O Soubala! I will make the beautiful Droupadi of Panchala, slender of waist, my stake. Let us play.” When Yudhishthira uttered these words, all the elders assembled in the sabha (assembly hall) raised words of “shame”. The hall seemed to shake. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the others broke out in sweat. Vidura buried his head in his hands and sat with a downcast face, thinking and sighing like a serpent, like one who had lost his senses. But Dhritarashtra was delighted. Failing to control his emotions, he repeatedly kept asking, “Has he won? Has the stake been won?” Karna, Duhshasana and their allies were happy. Tears began to flow down the eyes of others in the assembly. Shakuni, insolent with success and proud of victory, instantly flung the dice and said, “I have won.”