What can we learn from Yudhishthira’s gambling?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
First question is that how do you understand Yudhishthira’s gambling or what is the lesson to be learned from that? So, actually, the human mind has the capacity to interpret everything in a way that justifies its own ideas. The human mind has that capacity.
Whatever evidence you provide. The same evidence, for example, youth is temporary. So, spiritualists will tell us, youth is temporary.
Don’t waste it on temporary pleasure. Seek the eternal. Materialists will tell us, youth is temporary.
Enjoy before you lose it. So, the same safe information can be seen in entirely different ways. Somebody can say that, oh, if a person who is supposed to be Dharmaraya Yudhishthira gambles, then why should I not gamble? I will also gamble.
But, the lesson of the Mahabharata is something entirely different. And gambling can get even a person like Dharmaraj into trouble. What to speak of us? So, when scripture wants to teach something, quite often, it teaches through extreme examples.
So, through Yudhishthira’s example, the very grievous consequences of gambling are demonstrated. Even in the Mahabharata itself, it is indicated that gambling is a vice which should be avoided. I quoted Vikarna saying that, you know, when people come under the spell of gambling, mania.
And they just lose all sense. So, the lesson there is that, even a person who is Dharmic, so Dharmic as Dharmaraj Yudhishthira, even he can come under the spell of gambling and can act grievously. Therefore, it is best to stay away from this.
You think, I’ll just gamble a little, but it will just be like a vortex that will suck us in. So, it’s best to avoid that. That’s the primary lesson from Yudhishthira’s gambling.
From the transcendental perspective, this whole pastimes are orchestrated by Krishna to demonstrate to us that ultimately we have no protector except him. So, everybody, Yudhishthira, the other Pandavas, Bhishma, they all stay passive. And that, because they are orchestrated that way, so that ultimately, despite having so many protectors, Draupadi has no protector and then she turns towards Krishna.
So, we also, we need to make arrangements for material security, material protection, but there can be times in our life when all our arrangements, just none of them work. So, at that time, we have to depend on Krishna. So, that is also the principle that is demonstrated ultimately through Yudhishthira’s gambling.