द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ।जयोऽस्मि व्यवसायोऽस्मि सत्त्वं सत्त्ववतामहम् ॥
dyūtaṃ chalayatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham | jayo 'smi vyavasāyo 'smi sattvaṃ sattvavatām aham ||
- द्यूतम् · dyūtam
- dicing, gambling
- छलयताम् · chalayatām
- among cheats, the deceitful
- तेजः · tejaḥ
- radiance, fire
- तेजस्विनाम् · tejasvinām
- among the radiant
- जयः · jayaḥ
- victory
- व्यवसायः · vyavasāyaḥ
- resolve, enterprise
- सत्त्वम् · sattvam
- goodness, strength
- सत्त्ववताम् · sattvavatām
- among the strong, the good
“Among the deceitful I am dicing; among the radiant, radiance. I am victory, I am resolve, I am the goodness of the good.”
— Original plain-language translation
Even guile's sharpest game is owned — a startling claim that nothing cunning escapes him. Then the ascending virtues: brilliance, triumph, resolve, goodness itself. The dice recall the epic's own fatal game.
— Reader's notes (original)