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In the following verses the dice are described as "deceptive, hot and burning" and being similar to children in that "they give and take again". In verse 13, the poet addresses the gambler in an attempt to reform him, invoking the god
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writes the following about the poem: "Considering that it is the oldest composition of the kind in existence, we cannot but regard this poem as the most remarkable literary product."
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believed that
Gambler's lament was originally constructed as a spell to ensure victory in a game of dice, which was later converted into a cautionary poem by an anonymous poet.
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The poem testifies to the popularity of gambling among all classes of Vedic people, however it was most important among the kings and ruling class. In the middle Vedic
139:), into an oblong shape with four scoring sides— kŗta (four), tretā (trey), dvāpar (deuce), kali (ace). The gambler who drew a multiple of four won the game.
122:, in which Nala gambles away his kingdom. The dharmic texts, which also date to a later period, consider gambling to be a typical trait and vice of kings.
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ritual (consecration of a king), a ritual dice game is played in which the game is rigged so that the king-to-be wins. In the later Hindu epic, the
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The
Rigveda is mostly dated to between about the 15th and 11th centuries BC, with the tenth book dating to roughly the 11th century. See e.g.
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And as soon as, scattered down, the brown (dice) have raised their voice, I just go to their appointed place, like a girl with a lover.
52:(RV 10.34), where most of such hymns on "miscellaneous" topics are found, suggesting a date of compilation corresponding to the early
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631:
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There are your cows, o gambler, there your wife." In this way doesSavitar here, protector of the stranger, watch out for me.
73:. The poem is didactic in nature and shows early indications of the proverbial and sententious poetry in later Hindu texts.
540:
The Wonder That Was India: A survey of the history and culture of the Indian sub-continent before the coming of the
Muslims
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The poem consists of a monologue of a repentant gambler who laments the ruin brought on him because of addiction to
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13 "Don't keep playing with dice; just plow your own plowland.Be content in your possessions, thinking them much.
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5. When I resolve, "I will not play with them," I am bereft of my comrades, who go off (without me).
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3. My mother-in-law hates me; my wife pushes me away. A man in distress finds no one to pity him.
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meter. In verses 2–3, the narrator describes how the dice have ruined his domestic life (trans.
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considered the poem to be the "most beautiful among the non–religious poems of the Rig Veda."
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2. She did not oppose me, nor did she get angry; she was gracious to my comrades and to me.
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The dice are referred to as "the brown ones", as they were made from the brown nuts of
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A History of
Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century
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197:"I find no more use for a gambler than for an old nag up for sale," (so they say).
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which do not have any direct cultic or religious context. It is found in the late
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A history of Indian literature: Introduction, Veda, epics, purānas and tantras
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Social And
Cultural History Of Ancient India (revised & Enlarged Edition)
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56:. The hymn was composed by either Kanvasha Ailusha or Aksha Maujavant.
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I, on account of one die too many, have pushed away my avowed wife.
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312:अक्षैर्मा दीव्यः कर्षिमित कर्षस्व वित्ते रमस्व बहुमन्यमानः |
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tatra ghāvaḥ kitava tatra jāyā tan me vicaṣṭe savitāyamaryaḥ
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akṣairmā dīvyaḥ kṛṣimit kṛṣasva vitte ramasva bahumanyamānaḥ
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dveṣṭi śvaśrūrapa jāyā ruṇaddhi na nāthito vindatemarḍitāram
220:दवेष्टि शवश्रूरप जाया रुणद्धि न नाथितो विन्दतेमर्डितारम |
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262:नयुप्ताश्च बभ्रवो वाचमक्रतनेमीदेषां निष्क्र्तं जारिणीव ||
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yadādīdhye na daviṣāṇyebhiḥ parāyadbhyo.ava hīyesakhibhyaḥ
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nyuptāśca babhravo vācamakratanemīdeṣāṃ niṣkṛtaṃ jāriṇīva
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aśvasyeva jarato vasnyasya nāhaṃ vindāmikitavasya bhogham
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na mā mimetha na jihīḷa eṣā śivā sakhibhya uta mahyamāsīt
543:, Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan,
603:
The
Rigveda: The Oldest Literatures Of The Indian 1886
314:तत्र गावः कितव तत्र जाया तन मे विचष्टे सवितायमर्यः ||
260:यदादीध्ये न दविषाण्येभिः परायद्भ्यो.अव हीयेसखिभ्यः |
222:अश्वस्येव जरतो वस्न्यस्य नाहं विन्दामिकितवस्य भोगम ||
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44:(or "Gamester's lament") is one of the hymns of the
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Winternitz, Moriz; Sarma, Vuppala
Srinivasa (1981),
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The
Rigveda - the earliest religious poetry of India
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187:न मा मिमेथ न जिहीळ एषा शिवा सखिभ्य उत मह्यमासीत |
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akṣasyāhamekaparasya hetoranuvratāmapa jāyāmarodham
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229:The poem then describes the lure of the dice:
401:Jamison, Stephanie; Brereton, Joel P. (2014).
189:अक्षस्याहमेकपरस्य हेतोरनुव्रतामप जायामरोधम ||
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33:), which was used to make dice in ancient
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147:The hymn consists of 14 verses in the
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620:Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1990),
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623:A History of Sanskrit Literature
563:, Concept Publishing Company,
1:
155:and Joel P. Brereton, 2014:
1080:Gambling in ancient history
583:The Religion of the Ṛigveda
506:Jamison & Brereton 2014
482:Jamison & Brereton 2014
419:Winternitz & Sarma 1981
376:, Pearson Education India,
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114:also mentions the story of
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129:) were made from nuts of
16:Hymn of the Hindu Rigveda
606:, Kessinger Publishing,
578:Griswold, Hervey De Witt
64:Arthur Anthony Macdonell
666:, Motilal Banarsidass,
626:, Motilal Banarsidass,
586:, Motilal Banarsidass,
391: for more details.
370:Singh, Upinder (2008),
328:Rigvedic dialogue hymns
75:Arthur Llewellyn Basham
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643:Dictionary Of Vedanta
600:Kaegi, Adolf (2004),
508:, p. 1430-1431).
106:, and himself to his
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1075:Works about gambling
646:, Sarup & Sons,
640:Nath, Samir (2002),
557:Bose, M. L. (1998),
271:Terminalia bellirica
153:Stephanie W. Jamison
132:Terminalia bellirica
26:Terminalia bellirica
125:The gambling dice (
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673:978-81-208-0264-3
653:978-81-7890-056-8
613:978-1-4179-8205-9
593:978-81-208-0745-7
570:978-81-7022-598-0
550:978-1-59740-599-7
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1029:Dirghatamas
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969:Drishadvati
455:Basham 2008
112:Mahabharata
92:Yudhiṣṭhira
87:Mahabharata
1044:Categories
1017:Bharadvaja
992:Gritsamada
987:Saptarishi
833:Visvedevas
518:Kaegi 2004
344:References
50:Tenth Book
1022:Vasishtha
964:Yavyavati
944:Sarasvati
939:Nadistuti
470:Bose 1998
137:Vibhīdaka
120:Damayanti
31:Vibhīdaka
1002:Vamadeva
735:Mandalas
687:RV 10.34
580:(1971),
537:(2008),
322:See also
149:tristubh
143:Contents
100:brothers
82:Rajasuya
1055:Rigveda
1012:Angiras
916:Danavas
878:Aryaman
848:Tvashtr
843:Ashvins
798:Deities
727:Rigveda
528:Sources
389:Rigveda
108:cousins
96:kingdom
46:Rigveda
979:Rishis
954:Sarayu
949:Sindhu
926:Rivers
896:Vritra
888:Asuras
873:Varuna
858:Pushan
853:Ribhus
838:Maruts
670:
650:
630:
610:
590:
567:
547:
380:
279:Savitr
110:. The
906:Dasas
901:Susna
868:Mitra
863:Rudra
826:Ushas
816:Indra
806:Devas
35:India
1007:Atri
959:Rasā
911:Danu
821:Soma
811:Agni
668:ISBN
648:ISBN
628:ISBN
608:ISBN
588:ISBN
565:ISBN
545:ISBN
378:ISBN
127:akșa
118:and
116:Nala
104:wife
71:dice
40:The
689:at
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788:10
462:^
411:^
281:.
273:.
102:,
98:,
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29:(
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