Week 9 Storytelling: The Dice Game

Following his visit to Indraprastha, Duryodhana is consumed with envy and rage. He cannot bear the thought that his cousins are living lives of greater luxury than his own, and he’s never been angrier than he was in the moment that he saw Draupadi laughing at him. As Duryodhana and his uncle, Shakuni, walk back to Hastinapura, they plot ways of getting back at the Pandavas.

To overcome his envy, Duryodhana decides that he will convince his father to build their own assembly hall. It will be the largest, most spectacular building that the world has ever seen and its beauty will bring shame to Indraprastha, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Elevating Hastinapura well beyond the glory Indraprastha will not repair the damage to his pride. Duryodhana wants to strip his cousins of all of their possessions, but he could never stand against them in battle. Shakuni acknowledges his nephew’s dilemma and decides to offer his assistance.

“Years ago, I received a pair of enchanted dice. These dice will land on any combination of numbers that I will them to. Once your father completes the construction of the Crystal Palace, we will challenge the Pandavas to a game of dice and I will win all of their worldly possessions.”

Duryodhana is so excited about his uncle’s idea that he sprints the rest of the way back to Hastinapura and insists that his father has all construction stop until the Crystal Palace is completed. Out of his love for his son, Dhritarashtra agrees to his demands without questioning the urgency of the matter. Once the assembly hall is complete, everything is in order for Duryodhana to exact his revenge.

When the Pandavas arrive at Hastinapura, they are led directly to the Crystal Palace where Dhritarashtra explains the rules of the game.

“I have gathered you all here today to celebrate the completion of our new assembly hall. By my son’s suggestion, we will host a friendly game of dice in which those who are willing may gamble to multiply their wealth. The rules of the game are simple: Players will receive a pair of six-sided dice. The guest will receive the advantage of being the first to roll. Then the host will have 3 attempts to roll a combination that is equal in magnitude to the guest’s roll. If the host fails to do so, then the guest will see his wager doubled and returned.”

 

 

Following his father’s introduction, Duryodhana wastes no time before challenging his cousin, Yudhistira. When Yudhistira accepts the challenge, his deceitful cousin informs him that Shakuni will be playing in his place, but his bets will be funded by Duryodhana. Without any concern for keeping his enchanted dice a secret, Shakuni greets Yudhistira’s first twenty rolls with the exact combination of dice. At this point, Yudhistira is furious and orders that Shakuni trade him dice. Without any other option, Shakuni surrenders his dice to Yudhistira, who quickly identifies the enchantment. King Dhritarashtra is outraged by the treachery and orders his son and brother-in-law to leave his kingdom. Unfortunately, this is not the last that the Pandavas will see of their deceitful relatives.

Author’s Note:

When I read the original story, I kept wondering what type of game they were playing and how Shakuni could be an expert at rolling dice. I also really dislike Duryodhana, so I rewrote the story of the dice game to answer some of the questions that I had, and celebrate a small victory in that Duryodhana was banished from Hastinapura.

Bibliography:

Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata

Image Information:
Rolling Dice: GeneticsAndSociety