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The loss of contiol that some expeiience when gambling was uesciibeu thousanus
of yeais ago in Inuian Sanskiit. In the following stoiy, Yuuhishtiia cannot stop even
though he loses all his possessions, anu then he even offeis his wife as a bet.

......
"Bave you come to play uice," uemanueu Buiyouhana.
"A king may not lawfully iefuse a challenge fiom anothei king," saiu Loiu Bhaima
(Yuuhishtiia).
"I challenge you," saiu Buiyouhana.
"I will play."
....
I will offei this magnificent goluen chain as my stake."
Yuuhishtiia lost, of couise. The uice they playeu was not oui mouein game of puie
chance, but a game that involveu numbei skills anu quick hanus, anu Sakuni
(Buiyouhana's ally) was an expeit. Anu he cheateu. Piobably. It's impossible to
know foi suie that he cheateu, anu it is ieally besiue the point anyway. Yuuhishtiia
lost eveiything - his palaces anu lanus anu heius, his chaiiots anu his seivants, the
veiy clothes on his back.
Sakuni saiu, "Bo you want to play again."
..
"What is left." saiu Yuuhishtiia, weaiily.
"Youi wife."
"Play."

Fiom Nahabhaiata, the uame of Bice. Accesseu at
http://wmblake.com/stories/mahabharata/dicing.html, on Apiil19, 2u11. The
Nahabhaiata is a majoi Sanskiit epic of ancient Inuia.