तस्मिन् निवृत्त उद्वाहे कालिङ्गप्रमुखा नृपा: । दृप्तास्ते रुक्मिणं प्रोचुर्बलमक्षैर्विनिर्जय ॥ २७ ॥ अनक्षज्ञो ह्ययं राजन्नपि तद्व्यसनं महत् । इत्युक्तो बलमाहूय तेनाक्षैर्रुक्म्यदीव्यत ॥ २८ ॥
tasmin nivṛtta udvāhe kāliṅga-pramukhā nṛpāḥ dṛptās te rukmiṇaṁ procur balam akṣair vinirjaya anakṣa-jño hy ayaṁ rājann api tad-vyasanaṁ mahat ity ukto balam āhūya tenākṣair rukmy adīvyata
- tasmin
- when that
- nivṛtte
- was finished
- udvāhe
- the marriage ceremony
- kāliṅga-pramukhāḥ
- headed by the ruler of Kaliṅga
- nṛpāḥ
- kings
- dṛptāḥ
- arrogant
- te
- they
- rukmiṇam
- to Rukmī
- procuḥ
- spoke
- balam
- Balarāma
- akṣaiḥ
- with dice
- vinirjaya
- you should defeat
- anakṣa-jñaḥ
- not expert in gambling with dice
- hi
- indeed
- ayam
- He
- rājan
- O King
- api
- although
- tat
- with that
- vyasanam
- His fascination
- mahat
- great
- iti
- thus
- uktaḥ
- addressed
- balam
- Lord Balarāma
- āhūya
- inviting
- tena
- with Him
- akṣaiḥ
- at dice
- rukmī
- Rukmī
- adīvyata
- played
After the wedding, a group of arrogant kings headed by the King of Kaliṅga told Rukmī, “You should defeat Balarāma at dice. He’s not expert at dice, O King, but still He’s quite addicted to it.” Thus advised, Rukmī challenged Balarāma and began a gambling match with Him.