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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.1.8
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 8
- dyūte tv adharmeṇa jitasya sādhoḥ
- satyāvalambasya vanaṁ gatasya
- na yācato 'dāt samayena dāyaṁ
- tamo-juṣāṇo yad ajāta-śatroḥ
dyūteby means of gambling — by means of gambling; tubut — but; adharmeṇaby unfair tricks — by unfair tricks; jitasyaof the vanquished — of the vanquished; sādhoḥa saintly person — a saintly person; satyaone who embraced truth as shelter-avalambasyaone who embraced truth as shelter — one who embraced truth as shelter; vanamforest — forest; gatasyaof the goer — of the goer; nanever — never; yācataḥwhen asked for — when asked for; adātdelivered — delivered; samayenain due course — in due course; dāyamright share — right share; tamaḥoverwhelmed by illusion-juṣāṇaḥoverwhelmed by illusion — overwhelmed by illusion; yatas much as — as much as; ajātaof one who had no enemy-śatroḥof one who had no enemy — of one who had no enemy.
Yudhiṣṭhira, who was born without any enemy, was unfairly defeated in gambling. But because he had taken the vow of truthfulness, he went off to the forest. When he came back in due course and begged the return of his rightful share of the kingdom, he was refused by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who was overwhelmed by illusion.
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the rightful heir to his father's kingdom. But just to favor his own sons, headed by Duryodhana, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's uncle, adopted various unfair means to cheat his nephews of their rightful share of the kingdom. At last the Pāṇḍavas demanded only five villages, one for each of the five brothers, but that was also refused by the usurpers. This incident led to the War of Kurukṣetra. The Battle of Kurukṣetra, therefore, was induced by the Kurus, and not the Pāṇḍavas.
As kṣatriyas, the proper livelihood of the Pāṇḍavas was only to rule, and not to accept any other occupation. A brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya will not accept employment for his livelihood under any circumstances.