Yudhishtra wants to quit the game, since he has no property to lose. But Duryodhana taunts and incites him to continue playing. He asks him to wager his own brothers in the game. Bhishma and Vidura object to this, saying he could lay at stake only what he owned. Once again, Duryodhana makes fun of the unity the brothers professed and asks if it was true the brothers would do anything Yudhishtra commanded. Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva grant permission to Yudhishtra to stake them in the game. Yudhishtra loses them one by one and the brothers remove their crown and kneel down in the assembly.
Duryodhana jeers at the Pandavas and calls them his slaves. Finally, Yudhishtra loses himself too and declares that he has nothing else to offer. Karna seizes the opportunity to mock Yudhishtra that he could still pledge his haughty wife Draupadi. Bhima protests, but Karna orders him to kneel down. Duryodhana lampoons Yudhishtra by suggesting derisively that by pledging Draupadi, he gets an opportunity to gain back all that he has lost so far.
Vidura can take it no longer. He begs Dritarashtra to put a stop to the sham game, else it would destroy the entire Kuru dynasty. He pleads with Dritarashtra : 'yes, you are blind; but are you deaf as well? Duryodhana's arrogance in disrespecting the royal daughter-in-law should be curbed immediately. He is unworthy of even uttering her name!' Dritarashtra is dithering as usual. Duryodhana thunders that he would have ordered chopping of Vidura's head on Dritarashtra's behalf, had he been only a chief minister and not his father's younger brother as well. Vidura should sit as a mute spectator just like Bhishma, Drona and others or walk out.
Comments
Post a Comment