Paandav in Hastinaapur-First Game

Now Shakuni gave his dices to Duryodhan and took Duryodhan's dices himself. He said - "When the game will start, you tell that "My Maamaa will play on my behalf and he will also throw the dices on my behalf. Yudhishthir will not allow me to play with my dices, so you keep them. When I will start playing the game, then you will give these dices to me."

Paandav arrived in Hastinaapur. They were welcomed by Kaurav cordially. They were made comfortable in their apartments beautifully furnished. They had many servants and maids at their will. They went to greet Dhritraashtra and Gaandhaaree and other elders and passed their night very comfortably in their apartments. Next day they all went to see the new royal court specially built for this purpose with Duryodhan and others. Paandav walked through the great halls and corridors  and appreciated it, but both parties were thinking about the game only.

After they had visited the court, they came back to Hastinaapur. Then Shakuni suggested that they should play a game of dice. Yudhishthir was not ready for this. He said - "I would rather not prefer to play because it is the cause of so many unpleasant things." Shakuni said - "It is just like any other game. It is not like as though one's all belongings are at stake. It is just for entertainment." Yudhishthir said - "I don't like to win other's wealth  by cheating." Shakuni said sarcastically - "Oh, You have got the wealth very recently, if you don't want to accept the challenge, leave it." Yudhishthir couldn't say anything after this.

The hall started filling up slowly. Everybody, Bheeshm, Drone, Kripaa, and Vidur, Dhritraashtra all were there. They all knew what would be the result of this game, still they all were sitting silent because they all were tied with some kind of bondage. Bheeshm was bound with his vow, and Drone and Kripaa ate his salt, Dhritraashtra was tied to his Putra-Moh.

All settled for playing the game. Paandav sat on one side and Duryodhan and his brothers, Shakuni, Karn sat on the other side. When the rules were getting set, Yudhishthir was asked to contribute, but he said - "I am playing with my younger brother, therefore whatever rules he will set, they will be acceptable to me. There are no rules from my side." Then Duryodhan said - "I will play but my Maamaa will throw the dices on behalf of me." Yudhishthir said - "This is not the rule at all. I have never heard of playing this type of game by proxy. You must play yourself and you must put something on stake." Shakuni said - "There is nothing wrong in this type of arrangement. If you do not want to play, say so." Arjun also said once - "In war and in game do not put others in front." But Duryodhan didn't listen to it. On asking "who is going to throw dice first?" Yudhishthir said - "Duryodhan is my younger brother, he will start."

Duryodhan put his wealth against Yudhishthir's on stake and said "Here it is". Shakuni took the dice, shook them and threw them on the floor. Shakuni won. Yudhishthir gave thousands of gold coins and his Naulakhaa necklace (900,000 Rupees necklace, or very valuable necklace). Shakuni again won. The game went on. Game after game was played. Yudhishthir was always losing. Now the game was not a pleasure

Once Vidur asked Dhritraashtra to stop the game at some point, he said - "Now Duryodhan had already played for hobby, so the game should be stopped. You remember when your dear son was born evil omens were seen, you asked me why, and I told you "because he will be the cause of destruction of the whole world". I asked you to kill him to save the world, but you didn't listen to me. At least now you listen to me. The world will end if the game will continue any more. Please stop this."  But Dhritraashtra didn't listen to Vidur again. Yudhishthir had lost everything - 118,000 gold coins and all his wealth, chariots, 100,000 maids along with their gold jewelry, 1,000 elephants with gold seats, treasury, granary.

Shakuni again asked - "You have lost everything which you thought was yours, now if you have anything else which you think is yours, you may put it on stake. I put the whole wealth which Duryodhan has won so far, on stake. If you win you can claim it back."  Yudhishthir put his dark handsome brother Nakul on stake. Shakuni said "Won". Then he put wise Sahadev on stake, Shakuni won him also. Yudhishthir was very sorry, but the game had to be continued so he put Arjun, and then Bheem and then himself on stake and lost all of them. Seeing this Yudhishthir got sweated and silent.  Now Yudhishthir didn't have anything to put on stake so he said - "I don't have anything to put on stake, so we will have to stop the game here." Shakuni said - "You still have Draupadee, you have not lost her yet."

Bheem got angry hearing this and his hand grasped his Gadaa firmly as if he would throw it at Shakuni's head, but Arjun stopped him. Yudhishthir put her also on stake. And he lost her too. So Yudhishthir's all was lost.