Vaishampayana said Thereupon at the command of the intelligent Dhritarashtra Pratikamin, thus spoke to the son of Pritha, king Yudhisthira who had gone (by this time) to a great distance from Hastinapur.

Pratikamin said O descendant of Bharata, your father has said, “O Yudhisthira, the assembly is ready. O son of Pandu, O king, O Yudhisthira, come and throw the dice.

Yudhisthira said All creatures obtain good or evil fruits according to the appointment of the Ordainer of the creation. Whether I play or I do not play, those fruits are inevitable.

This is a summons to dice, it is also the command of the old king. Though I know it will prove destructive to me, yet I cannot refuse.

Though (a living) animal made of gold was an impossibility, yet Rama suffered himself to be tempted by a (golden) deer. the mind of men over whom calamities hang become deranged and out of order.

Vaishampayana said Having said this, the Pandava (Yudhisthira) with his brothers retraced his steps (towards Hastinapur). Knowing full well the deception practised by Shakuni, the son of Pritha (Yudhisthira) came back to sit at dice with him again.

O best of the Bharata race,, giving great pain to the hearts of all their friends those great car-warriors again entered that assembly.

Guided by Fate, they once more sat down at ease for gambling in order to bring about the destruction of men.

Shakuni said O best of the Bharata race the old king has given you back all your wealth. That is well. But listen to me, there is a stake of great value.

(It is this), If we are defeated by you at dice, we shall enter the great forest attired in deer skins and live there for twelve years and pass the thirteenth years in some inhabited place unrecognised. If recognised, we shall return to the exile of another twelve years.

(On the other hand), if you be defeated by us, you shall with Krishna (Draupadi) live for twelve years in the forest and pass the whole of the thirteenth year unrecognised in an inhabited country. If recognised, an exile of another twelve years is to be the consequence. On the expiry of the thirteenth year, each is to have his kingdom surrendered to the other.

O Yudhishthira, O descendant of Bharata, with such stake, play with us again by throwing the dice.

Vaishampayana said Thereupon those that were present in the Sabha raising up their arms, said in great anxiety of mind and in great emotion.

"Alas! Fie on the friends of Dhritarashtra that they do not tell him of his great danger! O best of the Bharata race (Dhritarashtra), whether he understand or not out of his own sense, it is your duty to tell him plainly.

The king, the son of Pritha (Yudhisthira) even hearing these various remarks again sat at dice from shame and sense of (Kshatriyas) duty.

Full you knowing the consequence, the greatly intelligent one (Yudhisthira) again began to play, as if he was fully aware that the destruction of the Kurus were inevitably near at hand.

Yudhisthira said. O Shakuni, how can a king like me who always observe the duty of his order refuse when challenged to dice? Therefore, I shall (again) play with you.

Shakuni said. O son of Pandu, we have many kine and horse and milch cows and innumerable goats and sheep and elephants, treasures, gold and servants, both male and female. All these have been staked by us before. But now let this be our stake, namely exile into forest (for twelve years) and then living in the thirteenth year unrecognised in an inhabited place. O foremost of men, with this stake let us (now ) play.

Vaishampayana said O descendant of Bharata, when this proposa about going to the forest was but once uttered, the of Pritha (Yudhisthira) accepted it; and the son of Subala (Shakuni) (then) took up the dice. (Finally) Shakuni said to Yudhisthira, "Lo! I have won!" son