THE WAGER

At once Duryodhana turned to Vidura and said: "Go and fetch Draupadi, the beloved wife of the Pandavas. She must hence forward sweep and clean our house. Let her come without delay."

Vidura exclaimed: "Are you mad that you rush to certain destruction? You are hanging by a slender thread over a bottom lessabyss! Drunk with success, you do not see it, but it will engulf you!"

Having thus reprimanded Duryodhana, Vidura turned to the assembly and said: "Yudhishthira had no right to stakePanchali as by then he had himself already lost his freedom and lost all rights.

I see that the ruin of the Kauravas is imminent,and that, regardless of theadvice of their friends and well-wishers,the sonsof Dhritarashtra are on the path to hell."

Duryodhana was angry at these words of Vidura and told Prathikami, his charioteer: "Vidura is jealous of us and he is afraid. of the Pandavas. But you are different. Go forth and bring Draupadi immediately."

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