सिन्धुद्वीपस्ततस्तस्मादयुतायुस्ततोऽभवत् ॥१६॥
ऋतूपर्णो नलसखो योऽश्वविद्यामयान्नलात् ।
दत्त्वाक्षहृदयं चास्मै सर्वकामस्तु तत्सुतम् ॥१७॥
Å›ruto bhagÄ«rathÄj jajñe
tasya nÄbho 'paro 'bhavat
sindhudvÄ«pas tatas tasmÄd
ayutÄyus tato 'bhavat
ṛtūparṇo nala-sakho
yo 'Å›va-vidyÄm ayÄn nalÄt
dattvÄká¹£a-há¹›dayaá¹ cÄsmai
sarvakÄmas tu tat-sutam
Å›rutaḥ - a son named Åšruta; bhagÄ«rathÄt - from BhagÄ«ratha; jajñe - was born; tasya - of Åšruta; nÄbhaḥ - by the name NÄbha; aparaḥ - different from the NÄbha previously described; abhavat - was born; sindhudvÄ«paḥ - by the name SindhudvÄ«pa; tataḥ - from NÄbha; tasmÄt - from SindhudvÄ«pa; ayutÄyuḥ - a son named AyutÄyu; tataḥ - thereafter; abhavat - was born; á¹›tÅ«parṇaḥ - a son named ṚtÅ«parṇa; nala-sakhaḥ - who was a friend of Nala; yaḥ - one who; aÅ›va-vidyÄm - the art of controlling horses; ayÄt - achieved; nalÄt - from Nala; dattvÄ - after giving in exchange; aká¹£a-há¹›dayam - the secrets of the art of gambling; ca - and; asmai - unto Nala; sarvakÄmaḥ - by the name SarvakÄma; tu - indeed; tat-sutam - his son (the son of ṚtÅ«parṇa).
BhagÄ«ratha had a son named Åšruta, whose son was NÄbha. This son was different from the NÄbha previously described. NÄbha had a son named SindhudvÄ«pa, from SindhudvÄ«pa came AyutÄyu, and from AyutÄyu came ṚtÅ«parṇa, who became a friend of NalarÄja. ṚtÅ«parṇa taught NalarÄja the art of gambling, and NalarÄja gave ṚtÅ«parṇa lessons in controlling and maintaining horses. The son of ṚtÅ«parṇa was SarvakÄma.
Gambling is also an art. Ká¹£atriyas are allowed to exhibit talent in this art of gambling. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, the PÄṇá¸avas lost everything by gambling and were deprived of their kingdom, wife, family and home because they were not expert in the gambling art. In other words, a devotee may not be expert in materialistic activities. It is therefore advised in the Å›Ästra that materialistic activities are not at all suitable for the living entities, especially the devotees. A devotee should therefore be satisfied to eat whatever is sent as prasÄda by the Supreme Lord. A devotee remains pure because he does not take to sinful activities such as gambling, intoxication, meat-eating and illicit sex.
