HYMN XXXIV. Dice, Etc. – Rig Veda – Book 10

परावेपा मा बर्हतो मादयन्ति परवातेजा इरिणे वर्व्र्तानाः |
सोमस्येव मौजवतस्य भक्षो विभीदको जाग्र्विर्मह्यमछान ||

न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत |
अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम ||

दवेष्टि शवश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि न नाथितो विन्दतेमर्डितारम |
अश्वस्येव जरतो वस्न्यस्य नाहं विन्दामिकितवस्य भोगम ||

अन्ये जायां परि मर्शन्त्यस्य यस्याग्र्धद वेदने वाज्यक्षः |
पिता मता भरातर एनमाहुर्न जानीमो नयताबद्धमेतम ||

यदादीध्ये न दविषाण्येभिः परायद्भ्यो.अव हीयेसखिभ्यः |
नयुप्ताश्च बभ्रवो वाचमक्रतनेमीदेषां निष्क्र्तं जारिणीव ||

सभामेति कितवः पर्छमानो जेष्यामीति तन्वाशूशुजानः |
अक्षासो अस्य वि तिरन्ति कामं परतिदीव्नेदधत आ कर्तानि ||

अक्षास इदनकुशिनो नितोदिनो निक्र्त्वानस्तपनास्तापयिष्णवः |
कुमारदेष्णा जयतः पुनर्हणो मध्वासम्प्र्क्ताः कितवस्य बर्हणा ||

तरिपञ्चाशः करीळति वरात एषां देव इव सवितासत्यधर्मा |
उग्रस्य चिन मन्यवे ना नमन्ते राजा चिदेभ्योनम इत कर्णोति ||

नीचा वर्तन्त उपरि सफुरन्त्यहस्तासो हस्तवन्तं सहन्ते |
दिव्या अङगारा इरिणे नयुप्ताः शीताः सन्तो हर्दयंनिर्दहन्ति ||

जाया तप्यते कितवस्य हीना माता पुत्रस्य चरतः कवस्वित |
रणावा बिभ्यद धनमिछमानो.अन्येषामस्तमुपनक्तमेति ||

सत्रियं दर्ष्ट्वाय कितवं ततापान्येषां जायांसुक्र्तं च योनिम |
पूर्वाह्णे अश्वान युयुजे हि बभ्रून सोग्नेरन्ते वर्षलः पपाद ||

यो वः सेनानीर्महतो गणस्य राजा वरातस्य परथमोबभूव |
तस्मै कर्णोमि न धना रुणध्मि दशाहम्प्राचीस्तद रतं वदामि ||

अक्षैर्मा दीव्यः कर्षिमित कर्षस्व वित्ते रमस्व बहुमन्यमानः |
तत्र गावः कितव तत्र जाया तन मे विचष्टे सवितायमर्यः ||

मित्रं कर्णुध्वं खलु मर्लता नो मा नो घोरेण चरताभिध्र्ष्णु |
नि वो नु मन्युर्विशतामरातिरन्यो बभ्रूणाम्प्रसितौ नवस्तु ||

prāvepā mā bṛhato mādayanti pravātejā iriṇe varvṛtānāḥ |
somasyeva maujavatasya bhakṣo vibhīdako jāghṛvirmahyamachān ||

na mā mimetha na jihīḷa eṣā śivā sakhibhya uta mahyamāsīt |
akṣasyāhamekaparasya hetoranuvratāmapa jāyāmarodham ||

dveṣṭi śvaśrūrapa jāyā ruṇaddhi na nāthito vindatemarḍitāram |
aśvasyeva jarato vasnyasya nāhaṃ vindāmikitavasya bhogham ||

anye jāyāṃ pari mṛśantyasya yasyāghṛdhad vedane vājyakṣaḥ |
pitā matā bhrātara enamāhurna jānīmo nayatābaddhametam ||

yadādīdhye na daviṣāṇyebhiḥ parāyadbhyo.ava hīyesakhibhyaḥ |
nyuptāśca babhravo vācamakratanemīdeṣāṃ niṣkṛtaṃ jāriṇīva ||

sabhāmeti kitavaḥ pṛchamāno jeṣyāmīti tanvāśūśujānaḥ |
akṣāso asya vi tiranti kāmaṃ pratidīvnedadhata ā kṛtāni ||

akṣāsa idankuśino nitodino nikṛtvānastapanāstāpayiṣṇavaḥ |
kumāradeṣṇā jayataḥ punarhaṇo madhvāsampṛktāḥ kitavasya barhaṇā ||

tripañcāśaḥ krīḷati vrāta eṣāṃ deva iva savitāsatyadharmā |
ughrasya cin manyave nā namante rājā cidebhyonama it kṛṇoti ||

nīcā vartanta upari sphurantyahastāso hastavantaṃ sahante |
divyā aṅghārā iriṇe nyuptāḥ śītāḥ santo hṛdayaṃnirdahanti ||

jāyā tapyate kitavasya hīnā mātā putrasya carataḥ kvasvit |
ṛṇāvā bibhyad dhanamichamāno.anyeṣāmastamupanaktameti ||

striyaṃ dṛṣṭvāya kitavaṃ tatāpānyeṣāṃ jāyāṃsukṛtaṃ ca yonim |
pūrvāhṇe aśvān yuyuje hi babhrūn soaghnerante vṛṣalaḥ papāda ||

yo vaḥ senānīrmahato ghaṇasya rājā vrātasya prathamobabhūva |
tasmai kṛṇomi na dhanā ruṇadhmi daśāhamprācīstad ṛtaṃ vadāmi ||

akṣairmā dīvyaḥ kṛṣimit kṛṣasva vitte ramasva bahumanyamānaḥ |
tatra ghāvaḥ kitava tatra jāyā tan me vicaṣṭe savitāyamaryaḥ ||

mitraṃ kṛṇudhvaṃ khalu mṛlatā no mā no ghoreṇa caratābhidhṛṣṇu |
ni vo nu manyurviśatāmarātiranyo babhrūṇāmprasitau nvastu ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

1. SPRUNG from tall trees on windy heights, these rollers transport me as they turn upon the table.
Dearer to me the die that never slumbers than the deep draught of Mujavan’s own Soma.

2 She never vexed me nor was angry with me, but to my friends and me was ever gracious.
For the die’s sake, whose single point is final, mine own devoted wife I alienated.

3 My wife holds me aloof, her mother hates me: the wretched man finds none to give him comfort.
As of a costly horse grown old and feeble, I find not any profit of the gamester.

4 Others caress the wife of him whose riches the die hath coveted, that rapid courser:
Of him speak father, mother, brothers saying, We know him not: bind him and take him with you.

5 When I resolve to play with these no longer, my friends depart from me and leave me lonely.
When the brown dice, thrown on the board, have rattled, like a fond girl I seek the place of meeting.

6 The gamester seeks the gambling-house, and wonders, his body all afire, Shall I be lucky?
Still do the dice extend his eager longing, staking his gains against his adversary.

7 Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe.
They give frail gifts and then destroy the man who wins, thickly anointed with the player’s fairest good.

8 Merrily sports their troop, the three-and-fifty, like Savitar the God whose ways are faithful.
They bend not even to the mighty’s anger: the King himself pays homage and reveres them.

9 Downward they roll, and then spring quickly upward, and, handless, force the man with hands to serve them.
Cast on the board, like lumps of magic charcoal, though cold themselves they burn the heart to ashes.

10 The gambler’s wife is left forlorn and wretched: the mother mourns the son who wanders homeless.
In constant fear, in debt, and seeking riches, he goes by night unto the home of others.

11 Sad is the gambler when he sees a matron, another’s wife, and his well-ordered dwelling.
He yokes the brown steeds in the early morning, and when the fire is cold sinks down an outcast.

12 To the great captain of your mighty army, who hath become the host’s imperial leader,
To him I show my ten extended fingers: I speak the truth. No wealth am I withholding.

13 Play not with dice: no, cultivate thy corn-land. Enjoy the gain, and deem that wealth sufficient.
There are thy cattle there thy wife, O gambler. So this good Savitar himself hath told me.

14 Make me your friend: show us some little mercy. Assail us not with your terrific fierceness.
Appeased be your malignity and anger, and let the brown dice snare some other captive.