The verse and its meaning · Vedas · Vedas — The Gambler's Lament

The Gambler's Lament, whole

Rig Veda 10.34

प्रावेपा मा बृहतो मादयन्ति प्रवातेजा इरिणे वर्वृतानाः। सोमस्येव मौजवतस्य भक्षो विभीदको जागृविर्मह्यमच्छान्

न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत्। अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम्

द्वेष्टि श्वश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि न नाथितो विन्दते मर्डितारम्। अश्वस्येव जरतो वस्न्यस्य नाहं विन्दामि कितवस्य भोगम्

अन्ये जायां परि मृशन्त्यस्य यस्यागृधद्वेदने वाज्यक्षः। पिता माता भ्रातर एनमाहुर्न जानीमो नयता बद्धमेतम्

यदादीध्ये न दविषाण्येभिः परायद्भ्योऽव हीये सखिभ्यः। न्युप्ताश्च बभ्रवो वाचमक्रतँ एमीदेषां निष्कृतं जारिणीव

सभामेति कितवः पृच्छमानो जेष्यामीति तन्वा शूशुजानः। अक्षासो अस्य वि तिरन्ति कामं प्रतिदीव्ने दधत आ कृतानि

अक्षास इदङ्कुशिनो नितोदिनो निकृत्वानस्तपनास्तापयिष्णवः। कुमारदेष्णा जयतः पुनर्हणो मध्वा सम्पृक्ताः कितवस्य बर्हणा

त्रिपञ्चाशः क्रीळति व्रात एषां देव इव सविता सत्यधर्मा। उग्रस्य चिन्मन्यवे ना नमन्ते राजा चिदेभ्यो नम इत्कृणोति

नीचा वर्तन्त उपरि स्फुरन्त्यहस्तासो हस्तवन्तं सहन्ते। दिव्या अङ्गारा इरिणे न्युप्ताः शीताः सन्तो हृदयं निर्दहन्ति

जाया तप्यते कितवस्य हीना माता पुत्रस्य चरतः क्व स्वित्। ऋणावा बिभ्यद्धनमिच्छमानोऽन्येषामस्तमुप नक्तमेति

स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वाय कितवं ततापान्येषां जायां सुकृतं च योनिम्। पूर्वाह्णे अश्वान्युयुजे हि बभ्रून्सो अग्नेरन्ते वृषलः पपाद

यो वः सेनानीर्महतो गणस्य राजा व्रातस्य प्रथमो बभूव। तस्मै कृणोमि न धना रुणध्मि दशाहं प्राचीस्तदृतं वदामि

अक्षैर्मा दीव्यः कृषिमित्कृषस्व वित्ते रमस्व बहु मन्यमानः। तत्र गावः कितव तत्र जाया तन्मे वि चष्टे सवितायमर्यः

मित्रं कृणुध्वं खलु मृळता नो मा नो घोरेण चरताभि धृष्णु। नि वो नु मन्युर्विशतामरातिरन्यो बभ्रूणां प्रसितौ न्वस्तु

Meaning · English

Born of a tall tree on a windy slope, the trembling dice rolling across the gaming ground go to my head. The wakeful nut thrills me like Soma from Mount Mujavant.

She never scolded me or grew angry; she was kind to my friends and to me. For a die that counts one too many, I drove off my loyal wife.

Her mother loathes me; my wife bars the door. I beg, and find no one kind. A gambler, like an old horse for sale, is worth nothing to me.

Others paw at the wife of the man whose wealth the mighty die has craved. Father, mother, brothers say: 'We do not know him. Bind him, lead him off.'

I resolve, 'I won't play with them,' and stay behind as friends leave. The brown dice fall and speak, and I go to their haunt like a woman to her lover.

The gambler heads for the hall, asking, "Will I win?" his body burning. The dice cut across his desire, setting the winning throws before his opponent.

The dice carry hooks and goads. They pierce, cut, and burn, and make others burn. Like a child they give, then strike the winner down. Honey-smeared, they overpower the gambler.

Their band of fifty-three plays like the god Savitr, whose law holds true. They do not bend to the fury of the fierce; even a king bows to them.

They roll low, then leap high; handless, they master the man with hands. Sky-born coals strewn on the gaming floor, cold to the touch, they burn the heart out.

The gambler's wife, abandoned, suffers; his mother grieves for a son wandering who knows where. In debt and afraid, hungry for money, he slips by night to other people's homes.

The gambler aches to see other men's wives and their well-kept homes. At dawn he yokes the brown horses; by night he drops by the fire, an outcast.

To the leader of your great troop, first king of your band, I raise my ten fingers: I hold back no wealth. This I speak as truth.

Stop playing dice; plough your field. Delight in what you earn, and count it plenty. There are your cows, gambler, there your wife. Noble Savitr showed me this.

Be our friends; be kind to us. Do not come at us with fierce force. Let your anger settle; let another be caught in the brown ones' snare.

अर्थ · हिन्दी

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