Vaisampayana said--"O king, impressed with the great Rajasuya sacrifice
of king Yudhishthira, Sakuni, the son of Suvala, having learnt before
the intentions of Duryodhana, while accompanying him in the way from
the assembly house, and desirous of saying what was agreeable to him,
approached Dhritarashtra endued with great wisdom, and finding the
monarch deprived of his eye seated (in his throne), told him these
words,--'Know, O great king, O bull of the Bharata race, that
Duryodhana, having lost colour, hath become pale and emaciated and
depressed and a prey to anxiety. Why dost thou not, after due enquiry,
ascertain the grief that is in the heart of thy eldest son, the grief
that is caused by the foe?'
"Dhritarashtra said,--'Duryodhana, what is the reason of thy great
affliction, O son of the Kuru race? If it is fit for me to hear it,
then tell me the reason. This Sakuni here says that thou hast lost
colour, become pale and emaciated, and a prey to anxiety. I do not know
what can be the reason of the sorrow. This vast wealth of mine is at
thy control. Thy brothers and all our relations never do anything that
is disagreeable to thee. Thou wearest the best apparel and eatest the
best food that is prepared with meat. The best of horse carries thee.
What it is, therefore, that hath made thee pale and emaciated? Costly
beds, beautiful damsels, mansions decked with excellent furniture, and
sport of the delightful kind, without doubt these all wait but at thy
command, as in the case of the gods themselves. Therefore, O proud one,
why dost thou grieve, O son, as if thou wert destitute.'
"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
incapable of bearing the pride of the foe, liveth having vanquished
that foe with the desire of liberating his own subjects from the
tyranny of the foe. Contentment, as also pride, O Bharata, are
destructive of prosperity; and those other two qualities also, viz.,
compassion and fear. One who acteth under the influence of these, never
obtaineth anything high. Having beheld Yudhishthira's prosperity,
whatever I enjoy brings me no gratification. The prosperity of Kunti's
son that is possessed of such splendour maketh me pale. Knowing the
affluence of the foe and my own destitution, even though that affluence
is not before me, I yet see it before me. Therefore, have I lost colour
and become melancholy, pale and emaciated. Yudhishthira supporteth
eighty-eight thousand Snataka Brahmanas leading domestic lives, giving
unto each of them thirty slave-girls. Beside this, thousand other
Brahmanas daily eat at his palace the best of food on golden plates.
The king of Kambhoja sent unto him (as tribute) innumerable skins,
black, darkish, and red, of the deer Kadali, as also numberless
blankets of excellent textures. And hundreds and thousands and
thousands of she-elephants and thirty thousand she-camels wander within
the palace, for the kings of the earth brought them all as tribute to
the capital of the Pandavas. And, O lord of earth, the kings also
brought unto this foremost of sacrifices heaps upon heaps of jewels and
gems for the son of Kunti. Never before did I see or hear of such
enormous wealth as was brought unto the sacrifice of the intelligent
sons of Pandu. And, O king, beholding that enormous collection of
wealth belonging to the foe, I can not enjoy peace of mind. Hundreds of
Brahmanas supported by the grants that Yudhishthira hath given them and
possessing wealth of kine, waited at the palace gate with three
thousands of millions of tribute but were prevented by the keepers from
entering the mansion. Bringing with them clarified butter in handsome
Kamandalus made of gold, they did not obtain admission into the palace,
and Ocean himself brought unto him in vessels of white copper the
nectar that is generated within his waters and which is much superior
to that which flowers and annual plants produce for Sakra. And Vasudeva
(at the conclusion of the sacrifice) having brought an excellent conch
bathed the Sun of Pritha with sea water brought in thousand jars of
gold, all well adorned with numerous gems. Beholding all this I became
feverish with jealousy. Those jars had been taken to the Eastern and
the Southern oceans. And they had also been taken on the shoulders of
men to the Western ocean, O bull among men. And, O father, although
none but birds only can go to the Northern region Arjuna, having gone
thither, exacted as tribute a vast quantity of wealth. There is another
wonderful incident also which I will relate to thee. O listen to me.
When a hundred thousand Brahmanas were fed, it had been arranged that
to notify this act every day conches would be blown in a chorus. But, O
Bharata, I continually heard conches blown there almost repeatedly. And
hearing those notes my hair stood on end. And, O great king, that
palatial compound, filled with innumerable monarchs that came there as
spectators, looked exceedingly handsome like the cloudless firmament
with stars. And, O king of men, the monarchs came into that sacrifice
of the wise son of Pandu bringing with them every kind of wealth. And
the kings that came there became like Vaisyas the distributors of food
unto the Brahmanas that were fed. And O king, the prosperity that I
beheld of Yudhishthira was such that neither the chief himself of the
celestials, nor Yama or Varuna, nor the lord of the Guhyakas owneth the
same. And beholding that great prosperity of the son of Pandu, my heart
burneth and I cannot enjoy peace.'
"Hearing these words of Duryodhana, Sakuni replied,--'Hear how thou
mayest obtain this unrivalled prosperity that thou beholdest in the son
of Pandu, O thou that hast truth for thy prowess. O Bharata, I am an
adept at dice, superior to all in the world. I can ascertain the
success or otherwise of every throw, and when to stake and when not. I
have special knowledge of the game. The Son of Kunti also is fond of
dice playing though he possesseth 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 thou, O Duryodhana, shalt then enjoy the same.'"
Vaisampayana continued,--"King Duryodhana, thus addressed by Sakuni,
without allowing a moment to elapse, said unto Dhritarashtra,--'This,
Sakuni, an adept at dice, is ready to win at dice, O king, the wealth
of the sons of Pandu. It behoveth thee to grant him permission to do
so.'
"Dhritarashtra replied,--'I always follow the counsels of Kshatta, my
minister possessed of great wisdom. Having consulted with him, I will
inform thee what my judgment is in respect of this affair. Endued with
great foresight, he will, keeping morality 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 thou consultest with Kshatta he will make thee
desist. And if thou desist, O king, I will certainly kill myself. And
when I am dead, O king, thou wilt become happy with Vidura. Thou wilt
then enjoy the whole earth; what need hast thou with me?'"
Vaisampayana continued,--"Dhritarashtra, hearing these words of
affliction uttered by Duryodhana from mixed feeling, himself ready to
what Duryodhana had dictated, commanded his servant, saying,--'Let
artificers be employed to erect without delay a delightful and handsome
and spacious palace with an hundred doors and a thousand columns. And
having brought carpenters and joiners, set ye jewels and precious
stones all over the walls. And making it handsome and easy of access,
report to me when everything is complete.' And, O monarch, king
Dhritarashtra having made this resolution for the pacification of
Duryodhana, sent messengers unto Vidura for summoning him. For without
taking counsel with Vidura never did the monarch form any resolution.
But as regards the matter at hand, the king although he knew the evils
of gambling, was yet attracted towards it. The intelligent Vidura,
however, as soon as he heard of it, knew that the arrival of Kali was
at hand. And seeing that the way to destruction was about to open, he
quickly came to Dhritarashtra. And Vidura approaching his illustrious
eldest brother and bowing down unto his feet, said these words:
"'O exalted king, I do not approve of this resolution that thou hast
formed. It behave thee, O king, to act in such a way that no dispute
may arise between thy children on account of this gambling match.'
"Dhritarashtra replied,--'O Kshatta, if the gods be merciful unto us,
assuredly no dispute will ever arise amongst my sons. Therefore,
auspicious or otherwise, beneficial or otherwise, let this friendly
challenge at dice proceed. Even this without doubt is what fate hath
ordained for us. And, O son of the Bharata race, when I am near, and
Drona and Bhishma and thou too, nothing evil that even Fate might have
ordained is likely to happen. Therefore, go thou on a car yoking
thereto horses endued with the speed of the wind, so that thou mayest
reach Khandavaprastha even today and bring thou Yudhishthira with thee.
And, O Vidura, I tell that even this is my resolution. Tell me nothing.
I regard Fate as supreme which bringeth all this.' Hearing these words
of Dhritarashtra and concluding that his race was doomed, Vidura in
great sorrow went unto Bhishma with great wisdom."