About the Author (Life and Works)
Krishna Dvaipayana or Vedavyasa was a legendary sage portrayed in the
Hindu epic Mahabharata. Vyasa is perhaps the greatest sage in the history of
the Hindu religion. He edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the epic
Mahabharata, and the Srimad Bhagavatam, and even taught Dattatreya, who is
regarded as the ‘Guru of Gurus.’ He was born of the union of the great sage
Parashara and a daughter of a boatman on a very auspicious day due to the wish
of Lord shiva.At a very young age, Vyasa revealed to his parents his purpose in
life — that he should go to the forest and practice ‘Akhanda Tapas’ or
continuous penance.According to the Puranas, Vyasa took initiation from his
guru sage Vasudeva. He studied the Shastras or scriptures under the sages
Sanaka and Sanandana and others. He arranged the Vedas for the good of mankind
and wrote the Brahma Sutras for the quick and easy understanding of the Srutis;
he also wrote the Mahabharata to enable common people to understand the highest
knowledge most readily. Vyasa wrote the 18 Puranas and established the system
of teaching them through ‘Upakhyanas’ or discourses. In this way, he
established the three paths of Karma, Upasana (devotion), and Jnana
(knowledge). Vyasa’s last work was the Bhagavatam which he undertook at the
instigation of DevarshiNarada, the celestial sage, who once came to him and
advised him to write it, without which, his goal in life would not be reached.
2. Duhsasana
3. Sakuni
4. Pandavas: Yudhistira (Kunti and Dharma) Bhim (kunti and Vayu), Arjuna (kunti and Indra) Nakul (Madri and Ashwins), Sahadeva(Madri and Ashwins)
5. Karna : Son of Kunti and the Son God (surya) (before marriage) ; brought up by Suta charioteer Adhirata and his wife Radha thus also known as Radheya.
6. Krishna: (Kesava, Varsneya, Madhusudana, Madhava, Janardana, Govinda, Acyuta, Hrsikesa)
7. Draupadi: the daughter of king Draupad, wife of five Pandavas
8. Vidura
Setting : THE CITY OF ELEPHANT / HASTINAPURA ( THE ASSEMBLY HALL )
Summary
THE DICING
Duryodhana marveled at the unparalleled beauty of Yudhistira’s palace at Indraprastha and started to explore it. The architecture of the palace tricked Duryadhana several times. He mistook firm ground for water, and indoor pools for land; he could not tell if the doors were open or shut so cunning the design of the place. When he fall in the water, “Mighty Bhimsena saw him that way and did Arjuna and the twins (Nakul and Sahadev), and they burst out laughing.” Resentful Duryadhana left the palce in anger with SakuniSaubala. Returning to the City of Elephant Hastinapura), Sakuni asked him, “Duryodhana, what is the reason that you travel with so many sighs?” At Sakuni’s question, he gave voice to his envy of Pndaveya’s (Yudhistira) wealth and succession. The Royal Consecration had made Yudhistira the sovereign of all kings. He used the help of Arjuna and Krishna to achieve his goal. Krishna had slayed Sisupala. It was a crime but no one protested. The kings had honored Yudhistira like they are his subjects. Duryodhana said he did not have anyone like Krishna to rely on and felt like dying seeing his rival prosper. He had tried to kill his cousins before and failed. He was filled with despair and believed “fate reigns supreme and man’s acts are meaningless”. Sakuni assured his nephew Duryodhana he too had allies, “…for your warlike brothers are your allies. So is the grand archer Drona, and his sagacious son and suta’s son Radheya (Karna), and the warrior Gautama (Krpa), and I am with my brothers and the heroic Saumadatti (Bhurisravas)”, with whom Pandava’s good luck can be reversed. As the Pandavas were invincible Sakuni suggested their fortune can be taken away from them by challenging “the Kaunteya (Yudhistira ) to a game of dice.” The Kaunteya loves to gamble but does not know how to play.” On the other hand, Sakuni was undefeated in the game of dice. Duryodhana wanted his uncle to ask Dhratarastra’s permission for dicing and put the plan into motion. Dhratarastra noticed that Duryodhana was pale and sickly. He wondered why he was so despite all the luxuries that a baron could want – friends, allies, good food, horses, and women. Duryodhana reveals that a rival’s prosperity ruined one’s happiness. A baron should not be satisfied and docile due to contentment, fear, or compassion. He could not bear Yudistira’s good luck. He had possessed the greatest quantities of wealth ever seen. He had offered food to numerous Brahmins, had received the biggest tributes from kings as the conch of Varun had sounded. In his mind,” Neither the king of the Gods, nor Yama nor Varuna, nor even the overlord of the Guhyakas has wealth as is found at Yudhistira’s.”The rise of the Pandavas had filled Duryodhana with burning jealousy and so he look sick and wan. That is why he wanted Yudhistira to play the game of dice and lose his good fortune. When Dhratarastra tried to consult with his wise minister, Vidura (firstsage of the Kurus), about such a proposition, Duryodhana threatened suicide. Therefore, the king was forced to submit Duryodhana’s demand and ordered to his servant, “Let the carpenters build me a big hall of a thousand pillars and a hundred doors, heart-fetching and beautiful, and do it at once!” He told Vidura to summon the Pandavas. He believed that nothing bad would happen if both he and Bhisma were present in the hall.
At this moment in the epic King Janamejaya, the descendant of the Kurus and Pandavas implored Vaisampayana to relate the episode of dicing in detail as it caused the end of an era. Vaisampayana compiled with this request. Dhratarastra anticipated Vidura’s reluctance and reminded Duryadhona of his good fortune and tried to understand why did he choose to gamble with the Pandavas as it always proved to be wrong. Then Duryodhana explained that the commoners’ lot of peace and harmony did not make him happy. He had been in charge of collecting the tributes during the Royal Consecration and had witnessed the boundlessness of the wealth of the Pandavas. King and Brahminsall over the world had gathered at Indraprastha with tributes of gold, fruits, horses, slave girls, and boys, and priceless gems. Many races like the Chinese, the Humns, Scythians, Black folk, and many others had come and many others had denied entry. He said,” I have not seen one there who was not fed, not happy, not wellrewarded with alms among all the classes at Yudhistira’s establishment. There are eighty-eight thousand snataka householders, each with thirty serving wenches, whom Yudhistira supports…Another ten thousand celibate ascetics eat from golden platters at Yudhistira’s establishment. Yajnasena’s daughter (Draupadi) does not eat until she has seen to it that everyone, down to the hunchbacks and dwarfs, has eaten and is filled.” Only the Panchala king and the Andhaka-Vrshnis did not pay tribute as they were related through marriage and friendship. Many kings of note arranged the ceremony for the unction. They traveled to the eastern and western oceans and blew on the conch shell of Varuna to mark the auspicious moment. The kings including Duryodhana himself fainted at the mighty sound of the conch shell. Thus Yudhistira had been initiated into the rank of Raja Harishchandra by completing the Royal Consecration. Having witnessed such glory Duryodhana become jealous. Moreover, he got humiliated when he had fallen into ponds and walked into the walls. He had been mocked by Arjuna, Draupadi, Nakula and Sahadeva. He felt so much insulted that he wished for death.
Dhrtarastra tried to calm him down and told to arrange a Seven Sessions ceremony if he wanted tribute. He suggested,” Be content with what you have, stay with your own Law- that way lies happiness.” But the suggestion did not work for Duryodhana and he remain intact with his decision. He said that Dhratarastra had failed as the patriarch of his family as he was content with the enemy’s good fortune and was not guiding Kurus to betterment. According to Duryodhana, “Discontent is the root of fortune.” So king should not be content with what he had, but through contest, conflict, and deceit gain what he coveted. He exampled, “Sakra made a covenant not to fight, then he cut of Namuci’s head.” So a powerless enemy could bring disaster if he was not checked. Duryodhana felt if he could not equal the Pandavas in might and wealth, forever danger will be upon him. Sakuni supported Duryodhana in this and said,” I shall throw the dice and, whole body and wise, defeat the fools! Be sure, the dice are my bows and arrows, the heart of the dice my string, the dicing rug my chariot.”
As Duryodhana and Sakuniwere so determined about the game of dicing, father Dhrtarastra decided to consult with “the great spirited Vidura.” But Duryodhana did not want that cause he believed,” He (Vidura) is less devoted to my (Duryodhana) cause than that of the Pandavas.” He also added,” No man should undertake his own task on another’s authority.”
Dhrtarastra resigned himself to the game of dicing and recalled how Vidura had foretold the doom that would befall the barons. He felt that this would start unending animosity between the Kauravas and Pandavas. When Vidura tried to warn of the feud that might start between kinsmen, Dhrtarastra said that no one could defy destiny as planned by the gods and the proposed game appeared to be fated.
Vidura went to Yudhistira, (Ajatsatru/Ajamidha) and presented Dhratarasra’s invitation for dicing. Reluctant Vidura told Yudhistira that this game of dicing will bring disaster so he had made an effort to stop Dhratarastra but he had refused, so now it’s upon Yudhistira to agree to the game or not. Because “ It is the King Dhratarastra’s behest,” and “A son will always respect the father”, Yudhistira agreed to play dice with Sakuni, Duryodhana, Vivimsati, Purumitra, Citrasena, Jaya, and Satyavrata who were all accomplished players. Eventually, he set out for Hastinapura.
Yudhistira condemned dicing as a game of deception and a beneath a baron’s notice. “Asita Devala, greatest of hermits who frequents at all times the gates to the world, has said, “ To game with gamblers who play tricks is evil, but victory in the battle to the Law is a good game and superior to it.”Sakuni regarded dicing as being equal to cleverness and challenged Yudhistira to refuse the game if he thought it unfair. And the game of dicing began between Yudhistira and Sakuni, on behalf of Duryodhana. The stakes were made and Sakuni won the round. Yudhistira staked a hundred thousand gold pieces and lost, then his chariot, a thousand elephants, a hundred thousand slave girls, hundred thousand male slaves, a hundred thousand chariots, Gandharva horses, his army, and his treasury. At this moment, Vidura interrupted the game and attempted to bring Dhratarastra back to his sense by saying how Duryodhana would be the architect of the downfall of the Kurus. Duryodhana was reckless, jealous, and combative like the greedy men of folklore who killed birds that spit gold for instant profit. He was winning the game but in turn, he was making lifelong enemies of the Pandavas and Krsna. Vidura reminded the court of Kamsa’s fate and said that “the root of all quarrels, the dicing game,” should be stopped. But Duryodhana got angry and accused Vidura of treason for taking the side of Pandavas. He invited Vidura to leave the hall but Vidura protested against such crudity; he was a true friend to Kauravas and was not a sycophant who only praised their actions. While they were arguing, clever Sakuni continued his tricks to compel Yudhistira for the stake. Sakuni provoked him by saying, “You have lost vast wealth of the Pandavas, Yudhistira. Tell me what wealth you have left, Kaunteya, what you have not yet lost!” and Yudhistita said, “ Myriad, ton, million, crore, a hundred million, a billion, a hundred thousand crores, an ocean count of drops I can stake! That is my stake, king, play me for it.” Consequently, Yudhistira lost his wealth, cattle, city, country, and his people’s property, the ornaments of the princes, even, Nakula, Sahadeva, Arjuna, Bhima, and himself. Sakuni sarcastically berated Yudhistira for staking himself when he still had other possessions that were Draupadi. Yudhistira described her lovingly, staked her, and eventually loose.
Duryodhana ordered Vidura to fetch Draupadi in the assembly hall. He refused with dark predictions, “ now the game has been won, with Duhsasana!/ The ground will sink and rocks will float,/ And the ships will forever be lost on the seas….For this to be sure spells the end of the Kurus,/ A grisly end, the perdition of all.” Duryodhana had done what was irreversible and unpardonable.
Duryodhana in his anger accused Vidura of ill will towards the Kauravas and sent an usher to fetch Draupadi. Draupadi refused and told him to ask in the assembly if Yudhistira lost himself before losing her, a question to which Yudhistira had no answer. Draupadi mused such unrest can only be resolved by the divine Law. Draupadi appeared in the hall, clothed in a one garment. Then he ordered the usher to “ Bring her here, good usher, right here on the spot,/ So the Kauravas may speak up to her face!” but the bard’s son was terrified of the Wolf-Belly so Duryodhana ordered Duhsasana to fetch Draupadi, he went and dragged her by the hair into the hall disregarding her pleas for consideration for her time of the month. Draupadi in grief and anger declared that it was unlawful to treat her thus; she would not abandon her virtue even on Yudhirtir’s order though he be the king of the Law. She asked the court why she was treated thus in front of the elders and was it not unlawful behavior to compel Yudhistira to play a game he was not adept at. All the elders from Bhisma, Dhrtarastra to Drona, and Krpa were silent.
Only one member, that was Vikarna, one of Dhrtarastra’ssons, tried to resolve Draupadi’s query and who considered Draupadi had not been won. But his exclamation went in vain as Radheya ( Karna) berated Vikarna and told, “ I hold that Draupadi has been won, and so do they hold.” Farther he questioned, “ Draupadi was mentioned by name and the Pandavas allowed her to be staked – then by what reasoning do you hold that she has not been won?” and if it was against the law, on the first hand Draupadi had five male for her husband which was not very lawful. Eventually, Duhsasana “forcibly laid hold of Draupadi’s robe, and in the midst of the assembly began to undress her.” At that very moment, “the greatest wonder on earth” happened, “ when her skirt was stripped off,….another similar skirt appeared every time.” When at last Duhsasana had given up, Bhima swore to avenge this insult upon Draupadi by killing him and drinking his blood, “Take to heart this word of mine,…May I forfeit my journey to all my ancestors, ….if I not tear open in battle the chest of this misbegotten friend, this outcast of the Bharatas, and drink his blood!” Amidst condemnations and discontent, Vidura advised to resolve Draupadi’s question as Law demanded. According to the Law, one could not stay silent out of fear, anger, or love. When Duhsasana again was about to drag Draupadi, she again appealed for an answer to all elders. She had been exposed to public scrutiny against the writ of the Law and as a virtuous Queen, she did not deserve it. Again she put the question of whether she was free or indeed a slave. Then Bhisma declared, “ What a powerful man views as Law in the world, that do others call the Law at a timewhen Law is in question. I cannot answer the question decisively, because the matter is subtle and mysterious as well as grave.” Praising Draupadi for remaining unshakeable from the path of Law when the Kauravas had succumbed to greed and folly, he wished Yudhistira to answer the question.
Duryodhana taunted the Pandavas for an answer when Bhima declared that he would have destroyed all had their lives not been staked by their eldest brother who, by Law, was their lord. In face of the Pandava’s silence and helplessness, Karna called Draupadi the wife a slave and declared her life and autonomy forfeit. Bhima raged at him for being low born and vowed to break Duryodhana’s thigh which he pointedly bared to Draupadi, “ May the Wolf-Belly never share the world of his fathers, if I fail to break that thigh with my club in a great battle.” When the court erupted in speculation and discussion about finer points of Law, Dhratarasra lamented that Duryodhana was a lost soul for humiliating a virtuous wife in the public eye. He granted Draupadi three boons. The first boon she asked for, “the illustrious Yudhistira, observer of every Law, shall be no slave! Do not let these little boys, who do not know my determined son, say of Prativindhya (son by Yudhistira) when he happens to come in, “Here comes the son of a slave!” As her second boon, she chose, “With their chariot and bows I choose Bhimsena and Dhanamjaya, Nakula, and Sahadeva” to be free. And declined the third boon by saying, “Greed kills Law, Sir, I cannot make another wish. I am not worthy to take a third boon from you, best of kings. As they say, the commoner has one boon, the baron and his lady two, but three are the king’s, great kings, and a hundred a brahmin’s."
Karna mocked the Pandavas’ helplessness as their wife had to come to their rescue. Bhima longed to destroy the Kauravas as he could not find any worthwhile reason to continue living after their wife and hence all their children defiled. Arjuna consoled, “Bharatas never babble of the insults, spoken or unspoken, from a lower man. The best people always remember only the good acts, not the hostilities they have been shown, acknowledging them because they have confidence in themselves.” Dhratarasra advised Yudhistira to do the same. He told them to return to Khandava and rule in peace and be serene. The Pandavas returned to Indraprastha with their wealth restored. Thus the Game of Dicing is enclosed.
THE SEQUEL TO
THE DICING
There is a sequel to the game of dicing in the epic Mahabharata. In the beginning of The Sequel to The Dicing, we see Janamejaya asked the narrator of the epic, Vaisampayana about the reaction of the Kauravas when they got to know that Dhratarastra had returned the Pandavas to their former glory. The sage replied that at the Pandavas ’ dismissal, Duryodhana, Karna, and Sakuniplotted against them and told the father that the Pandavas were planning to launch hostilities against them. Duryodhana urged onDhrtarastra a continuation of dicing to remove this threat. And this time there will be a single game. “ whoever it be that is defeated at the dicing, must go into the forest clad in deerskins for twelve years. The thirteenth year they should live disguised among people, and if they are found out, again go into the forest for another twelve years.” The Kauravas couched their words in the language of Law and despite the protest from the Kaurava elders, Dhrtarastra agreed to summon the Pandavas to dice again. Gandhari also protested as she remembered how at birth it was prophesized that Duryodhana would destroy their bloodline. The king resigned himself to the doomed fate of the Kurus and recalled the Pandavas from their home. Yudhistira, submitted to destiny, agreed to dice. He could not break the precepts of Law. As before, the Pandavaslost to Sakuni and had to obey the terms of the wager. Needless to sayagainSakuni cried,” won” at Yudhistira.
Duhsasana exclaimed the wheel of fortune had brought them low and punished their arrogance. So he asked Draupadi to choose a new husband for her from among the Kauravasand leave the Pandavas. Duryodhana mocked Bhima’s gait. “Having witnessed the insult to himself,…This merely said Bhima as he strode out, “ I shall kill Duryodhana, Arjuna shall kill Karna, and Sahadeva shall kill Sakuni, crook with the dice…I shall kill this Suyodhana with my club in the fight, and I shall push his head into the earth with my foot; and of this hero with words, this harsh and evil Duhsasana, I shall drink the blood like a lion.” To Bhim’s vow, Arjuna exclaimed, “ thirteen years from now they shall see what is to be! Of Duryodhana, Karna, the evil Sakuni, and fourth, of Duhsasana’ the earth shall drink the blood….I shall kill in battle this rabblerousing praiser of the wicked, this Karna!...I shall kill with my feathered shafts both Karna and his men war.”
At the time of their departure, all the elders wished them well in their hearts while Vidura said that they will never remain thus defeated as it was done against the law. They would prevail again as they would take strength from the gods and the elements; they will abide by lawful precepts and remain united in adversity. The kingdom grieved at their departure. Vidurastopped Kunti and suggested her stay in his inn. She praised Draupadi for her virtue and told her to look after Sahadeva. Unable to witness their departure Dhrtarastra asked Vidura to describe it to him. Vidura said, “ Kuni’s son Yudhistira has covered his face with his shawl, and Bhima Pandava has spread his arms wide as he goes. The left-handed archer follows the king, scattering sand, and Madri’s son Sahadeva goes with his face all streaked. Nakula is much distressed in his thoughts and is walking with his whole body limned with dist, behind his king, he the handsomest man on earth. Krsna of the long eyes, hiding her face in her hair, beautiful and crying much, follows the king. Dhaumya is chanting the gruesome Chants of Death, lord of the people, and as he walks the tracks he holds up kusa grass in his hand.” The king asked the reason behind their departure in such a peculiar fashion. Yudhistira had covered his eyes in case his wrathful sight destroy the people of the land, Bhima with his arms akimbo to display his strength against enemies, Arjuna spread dust in his path to signify the Kauravas as numerous as the sand grains whom he would slay, Sahadeva didn’t want to be recognized while Nakula tried to hide his beauty. Draupadi in her bloody clothes and unbound hair cursed,”They because of whom I got this way, thirteen years from now their wives will have their husbands dead, their sons dead, their kinsmen and friends dead!” The sky had darkened because of an untimely eclipse, meteors had exploded and beasts had gone wild in the forests- all portents spoke of a terrible disaster to follow. Dhaumya, the wise family priest, declared, “ When the Bharatas have been killed in the war, the gurus of the Kurus shall likewise sing these Chants!”
Then, the sage appeared in the hall to proclaim, “ Thirteen years from now the Kauravas who are here will perish, through Duryodhana’s guilt and Bhima’s and Arjuna’s might.” The Kaurava tried to avert such a fate and sought refuge with Drona. The teacher however revealed that it was decreed that Yajnasena, Draupadi’s father would slay him and he had joined the Pandavas’ cause, so Drona foresaw his death, yet he could not refuse to protect those who sought it.
At last, Dhratrastra recalled how Vidura disagreed with the game of dice and described all the evils that gonna be happened after the game, yet he agreed, and as the Pandavas had powerful allies like the Pancala and Krsna who would surely defeat the Kauravas as easily as they had defeated Jarasandha. Here The Sequel to The Dicing ends.
