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Volume I Volume II

The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz

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GAMBLING AMONG THE ANCIENT HINDOOS.--A HINDOO LEGEND AND ITS MODERN PARALLEL

CHAPTER II. page 6

`Now when Yudhishthira had lost his Raj, the Chieftains present
in the pavilion were of opinion that he should cease to play, but
he would not listen to their words, but persisted in the game.
And he staked all the jewels belonging to his brothers, and he
lost them; and he staked his two younger brothers, one after the
other, and he lost them; and he then staked Arjuna, and Bhima,
and finally himself; and he lost every game. Then Sakuni said to
him:--"You have done a bad act, Yudhishthira, in gaming away
yourself and becoming a slave. But now, stake your wife,
Draupadi, and if you win the game you will again be free." And
Yudhishthira answered and said:--"I will stake Draupadi!"
And all assembled were greatly troubled and thought evil of
Yudhishthira; and his uncle Vidura put his hand to his head and
fainted away, whilst Bhishma and Drona turned deadly pale, and
many of the company were very sorrowful; but Duryodhana and his
brother Duhsasana, and some others of the Kauravas, were glad in
their hearts, and plainly manifested their joy. Then Sakuni
threw the dice, and won Draupadi for Duryodhana.

`Then all in that assembly were in great consternation, and the
Chieftains gazed upon one another without speaking a word. And
Duryodhana said to his uncle Vidura:--"Go now and bring Draupadi
hither, and bid her sweep the rooms." But Vidura cried out
against him with a loud voice, and said:--"What wickedness is
this? Will you order a woman who is of noble birth, and the wife
of your own kinsman, to become a household slave? How can you
vex your brethren thus? But Draupadi has not become your slave;
for Yudhishthira lost himself before he staked his wife, and
having first become a slave, he could no longer have power to
stake Draupadi." Vidura then turned to the assembly and said:--
"Take no heed to the words of Duryodhana, for he has lost
his senses this day." Duryodhana then said:--"A curse be upon
this Vidura, who will do nothing that I desire him."

`After this Duryodhana called one of his servants, and desired
him to go to the lodgings of the Pandavas, and bring Draupadi
into the pavilion. And the man departed out, and went to the
lodgings of the Pandavas, and entered the presence of Draupadi,
and said to her:--"Raja Yudhishthira has played you away, and
you have become the slave of Raja Duryodhana: So come now and do
your duty like his other slave girls." And Draupadi was
astonished at these words, and exceedingly wroth, and she
replied:--"Whose slave was I that I could be gambled away? And
who is such a senseless fool as to gamble away his own wife?"
The servant said:--"Raja Yudhishthira has lost himself, and his
four brothers, and you also, to Raja Duryodhana, and you cannot
make any objection: Arise, therefore, and go to the house of the
Raja!"

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