Maharaja, and were then conducted to the pavilion where the play was to
be; and Duryodhana went with them, together with all his brethren, and
all the chieftains of the royal house. And when the assembly had all
taken their seats, Sakuni said to Yudhishthira:--"The ground here has
all been prepared, and the dice are all ready: Come now, I pray you, and
play a game." But Yudhishthira was disinclined, and replied:--"I will
not play excepting upon fair terms; but if you will pledge yourself to
throw without artifice or deceit, I will accept your challenge." Sakuni
said,--"If you are so fearful of losing, you had better not play at
all." At these words Yudhishthira was wroth, and replied:--"I have no
fear either in play or war; but let me know with whom I am to play, and
who is to pay me if I win." So Duryodhana came forward and said:--"I am
the man with whom you are to play, and I shall lay any stakes against
your stakes; but my uncle Sakuni will throw the dice for me." Then
Yudhishthira said,--"What manner of game is this, where one man throws
and another lays the stakes?" Nevertheless he accepted the challenge,
and he and Sakuni began to play.

'At this point in the narrative it may be desirable to pause, and
endeavour to obtain a picture of the scene. The so-called pavilion was
probably a temporary booth constructed of bamboos and interlaced with
basket-work; and very likely it was decorated with flowers and leaves
after the Hindoo fashion, and hung with fruits, such as cocoa-nuts,
mangoes, plantains, and maize. The Chieftains present seem to have sat
upon the ground, and watched the game. The stakes may have been pieces
of gold or silver, or cattle, or lands; although, according to the
legendary account which follows, they included articles of a far more
extravagant and imaginative character. With these passing remarks, the
tradition of the memorable game may be resumed as follows:--

'So Yudhishthira and Sakuni sat down to play, and whatever Yudhishthira
laid as stakes, Duryodhana laid something of equal value; but
Yudhishthira lost every game. He first lost a very beautiful pearl; next
a thousand bags, each containing a thousand pieces of gold; next a piece
of gold so pure that it was as soft as wax; next a chariot set with
jewels and hung all round with golden bells; next a thousand war
elephants with golden howdahs set with diamonds; next a lakh of slaves
all dressed in good garments; next a lakh of beautiful slave