Rig Veda · Mandala 10 · Sukta 34
Rig Veda 10.34 — Dice, Etc
Deity: Dice, Etc. Rishi family (Mandala 10): Many seers — generally considered latest in composition. This Sukta contains 14 verses presented below in Devanagari Sanskrit, IAST romanisation, and Ralph T. H. Griffith's English translation. Click any verse to read a fuller explanation.
Verses
Rig Veda 10.34.1
परावेपा मा बर्हतो मादयन्ति परवातेजा इरिणे वर्व्र्तानाः | सोमस्येव मौजवतस्य भक्षो विभीदको जाग्र्विर्मह्यमछान
prāvepā mā bṛhato mādayanti pravātejā iriṇe varvṛtānāḥ | somasyeva maujavatasya bhakṣo vibhīdako jāghṛvirmahyamachān
Rig Veda 10.34.2
न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत | अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम
na mā mimetha na jihīḷa eṣā śivā sakhibhya uta mahyamāsīt | akṣasyāhamekaparasya hetoranuvratāmapa jāyāmarodham
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.3
दवेष्टि शवश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि न नाथितो विन्दतेमर्डितारम | अश्वस्येव जरतो वस्न्यस्य नाहं विन्दामिकितवस्य भोगम
dveṣṭi śvaśrūrapa jāyā ruṇaddhi na nāthito vindatemarḍitāram | aśvasyeva jarato vasnyasya nāhaṃ vindāmikitavasya bhogham
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.4
अन्ये जायां परि मर्शन्त्यस्य यस्याग्र्धद वेदने वाज्यक्षः | पिता मता भरातर एनमाहुर्न जानीमो नयताबद्धमेतम
anye jāyāṃ pari mṛśantyasya yasyāghṛdhad vedane vājyakṣaḥ | pitā matā bhrātara enamāhurna jānīmo nayatābaddhametam
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.5
यदादीध्ये न दविषाण्येभिः परायद्भ्यो.अव हीयेसखिभ्यः | नयुप्ताश्च बभ्रवो वाचमक्रतनेमीदेषां निष्क्र्तं जारिणीव
yadādīdhye na daviṣāṇyebhiḥ parāyadbhyo.ava hīyesakhibhyaḥ | nyuptāśca babhravo vācamakratanemīdeṣāṃ niṣkṛtaṃ jāriṇīva
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.6
सभामेति कितवः पर्छमानो जेष्यामीति तन्वाशूशुजानः | अक्षासो अस्य वि तिरन्ति कामं परतिदीव्नेदधत आ कर्तानि
sabhāmeti kitavaḥ pṛchamāno jeṣyāmīti tanvāśūśujānaḥ | akṣāso asya vi tiranti kāmaṃ pratidīvnedadhata ā kṛtāni
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.7
अक्षास इदनकुशिनो नितोदिनो निक्र्त्वानस्तपनास्तापयिष्णवः | कुमारदेष्णा जयतः पुनर्हणो मध्वासम्प्र्क्ताः कितवस्य बर्हणा
akṣāsa idankuśino nitodino nikṛtvānastapanāstāpayiṣṇavaḥ | kumāradeṣṇā jayataḥ punarhaṇo madhvāsampṛktāḥ kitavasya barhaṇā
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.8
तरिपञ्चाशः करीळति वरात एषां देव इव सवितासत्यधर्मा | उग्रस्य चिन मन्यवे ना नमन्ते राजा चिदेभ्योनम इत कर्णोति
tripañcāśaḥ krīḷati vrāta eṣāṃ deva iva savitāsatyadharmā | ughrasya cin manyave nā namante rājā cidebhyonama it kṛṇoti
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.9
नीचा वर्तन्त उपरि सफुरन्त्यहस्तासो हस्तवन्तं सहन्ते | दिव्या अङगारा इरिणे नयुप्ताः शीताः सन्तो हर्दयंनिर्दहन्ति
nīcā vartanta upari sphurantyahastāso hastavantaṃ sahante | divyā aṅghārā iriṇe nyuptāḥ śītāḥ santo hṛdayaṃnirdahanti
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.10
जाया तप्यते कितवस्य हीना माता पुत्रस्य चरतः कवस्वित | रणावा बिभ्यद धनमिछमानो.अन्येषामस्तमुपनक्तमेति
jāyā tapyate kitavasya hīnā mātā putrasya carataḥ kvasvit | ṛṇāvā bibhyad dhanamichamāno.anyeṣāmastamupanaktameti
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.11
सत्रियं दर्ष्ट्वाय कितवं ततापान्येषां जायांसुक्र्तं च योनिम | पूर्वाह्णे अश्वान युयुजे हि बभ्रून सोग्नेरन्ते वर्षलः पपाद
striyaṃ dṛṣṭvāya kitavaṃ tatāpānyeṣāṃ jāyāṃsukṛtaṃ ca yonim | pūrvāhṇe aśvān yuyuje hi babhrūn soaghnerante vṛṣalaḥ papāda
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.12
यो वः सेनानीर्महतो गणस्य राजा वरातस्य परथमोबभूव | तस्मै कर्णोमि न धना रुणध्मि दशाहम्प्राचीस्तद रतं वदामि
yo vaḥ senānīrmahato ghaṇasya rājā vrātasya prathamobabhūva | tasmai kṛṇomi na dhanā ruṇadhmi daśāhamprācīstad ṛtaṃ vadāmi
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.13
अक्षैर्मा दीव्यः कर्षिमित कर्षस्व वित्ते रमस्व बहुमन्यमानः | तत्र गावः कितव तत्र जाया तन मे विचष्टे सवितायमर्यः
akṣairmā dīvyaḥ kṛṣimit kṛṣasva vitte ramasva bahumanyamānaḥ | tatra ghāvaḥ kitava tatra jāyā tan me vicaṣṭe savitāyamaryaḥ
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.
Rig Veda 10.34.14
मित्रं कर्णुध्वं खलु मर्लता नो मा नो घोरेण चरताभिध्र्ष्णु | नि वो नु मन्युर्विशतामरातिरन्यो बभ्रूणाम्प्रसितौ नवस्तु
mitraṃ kṛṇudhvaṃ khalu mṛlatā no mā no ghoreṇa caratābhidhṛṣṇu | ni vo nu manyurviśatāmarātiranyo babhrūṇāmprasitau nvastu
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.
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