Talk:Indoor Sports:Gambling
By Vishal Agarwal and The Hindu Society of Minnesota
Playing with dice with the help of luck is an ancient sport. However, due to the fickle nature of the outcome that is not entirely based on skill and because it can lead to one’s ruin, śāstra depict gambling as a harmful addiction that can lead to one’s utter ruin. In the Ṛgveda, the divine Veda, the gambler is warned to give up this addiction and instead earn his wealth through hard labor like farming.
Do not gamble, instead labor in your fields. Value the importance of wealth and rejoice when you earn it. — Ṛgveda 10.34.13ab
A famous instance of gambling leading to one’s ruin is in the Mahābhārata, where the Pāṇḍava prince loses his entire wealth, kingdom and even family to the Kauravas in a game of gambling. The story is given below.
'Story: The First Game of Dice'
The Kaurava uncle Śakuni decided to make his nephew Prince Duryodhana feel even more hateful towards the Pāṇḍavas. Therefore, he said to Duryodhana, “My dear nephew Duryodhana, I know that you are not as strong as the Pāṇḍavas and cannot defeat them in war. But I can suggest a better way to win all of their wealth and defeat them. I think you should ask your father King Dhṛtarāṣṭra to invite them to a game of dice. I will play on your behalf, and I will make sure that King Yudhishṭhira will gamble and lose his entire kingdom.
Yudhishṭhira will never refuse to come if your father and his uncle, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, invites them. Also, make sure that the invitation is taken to them by your uncle Vidura, whom the Pāṇḍavas greatly respect. There are two more reasons why Yudhishṭhira cannot turn down this invitation. First is that he is himself addicted to gambling. And secondly, gambling is considered a royal game. One king cannot turn down the invitation of another king to a gambling match, because it is bad manners to do so.”
Duryodhana persuaded his father to call King Yudhishṭhira for the game of dice. Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not agree at first. But when Duryodhana threatened to commit suicide, the king had no choice. Therefore he asked Vidura to go to Indraprastha with the invitation to the gambling match.
Vidura advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra against the gambling contest. But Dhṛtarāṣṭra was worried of Duryodhana’s threat of committing suicide and did not listen to Vidura. Reaching Indraprastha, Vidura said to the Pāṇḍavas, “I am personally against gambling because it always leads to grief and fights. However, I have come here after following the orders of King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, you can do as you wish.”
Yudhishṭhira was hesitant, but he could not refuse because that would have been disrespectful to his uncle King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. When the Pāṇḍavas arrived at the palace of Hastināpura, they were surprised to learn that Duryodhana will not play against them directly. Instead, his uncle Śakuni, who was notorious for cheating in gambling, would be playing on behalf of Duryodhana. Again, out of his decency, Yudhishṭhira did not object.
Now, Śakuni had magical dice that followed his verbal commands to roll the number that he wanted to win. After the game started, both Duryodhana and Yudhishṭhira started betting their jewels, horses, cows, land etc. But in one throw of the die after the other, Yudhishṭhira lost every time! Duryodhana won Yudhishṭhira’s kingdom, his palaces, all his cattle, horses, soldiers, jewels etc.
All the elders in the royal court hung their heads in shame because they did not like what was happening. Only the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra was unable to hide the joy on his face. He kept asking, “Has my son Duryodhana won the game?”
Yudhishṭhira got carried away and did not want to give up. Therefore, one by one, he staked his own brothers Nakula and Sahadeva and lost them too! Duryodhana gloated that he will hire the two brothers as servants in his palace.
Śakuni then taunted Yudhishṭhira, “You were so quick to bet Nakula and Sahadeva because they were only your step-brothers. Obviously, you do not love them as much as your real brothers Bhīma and Arjuna. That is why you have not bet them yet!”
This taunt really hurt Yudhishṭhira’s heart, and he bet Arjuna and Bhīma one by one, and lost them too! With nothing else left, Yudhishṭhira then bet himself, and lost!
Śakuni had taken full advantage of Yudhishṭhira’s weakness and addiction and had manipulated his mind to ruin him completely.
Modern Insights: Similar to gambling, many individuals today become gamers and are addicted to online gambling (or gamble in casinos) or other sports involving luck like Blackjack, Poker and so on. We all know some examples around us, and in practically all these cases, we also know how their addictions ruined their family and social relationships as well as financial well-being. Therefore, we must all be self-aware and careful at all times to not become a victim of these addicting sports or pastimes.