Everyone Assembles for the Game

"Who else will play besides Duryodhana?" asked Yudhishthira.

"Shakuni, Chitrasena, and Jaya," replied Vidura.

"I have a bad feeling about this. They are all seasoned players. I think Shakuni will definitely cheat. Nevertheless, if the king himself has invited me, I have no choice but to accept the challenge."

Vidura brought the Pandavas, Kunti, and Draupadi to Hastinapura. The Pandavas, Kauravas, and Kuru elders made their way to the assembly hall, where the arrangements for the game had been made, and took their respective seats.

"Shall we begin?" Shakuni asked Yudhishthira.

Yudhishthira was very familiar with Shakuni's ploys. He said, "We are going to play by the rules. There will be no trickery or deceit."

"In this game, the dice make the decisions. An expert player plays well whether or not they cheat. Besides, deception is not considered cheating unless it is discovered. Let us not talk about irrelevant matters."