Shloka 21

अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)

Devanagari script

शल्य बोले--नरश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधन! अब तुम अपने नगरको जाओ मैं शत्रुदमन युधिष्ठिरसे मिलने जाऊँगा ।।

Transliteration

śalya uvāca—naraśreṣṭha duryodhana, adya tvaṁ svanagaraṁ vraja; ahaṁ śatrudamana yudhiṣṭhiraṁ draṣṭuṁ gamiṣyāmi. dṛṣṭvā yudhiṣṭhiraṁ rājan kṣipram eṣye narādhipa. avaśyaṁ cāpi draṣṭavyaḥ pāṇḍavaḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ.

Translation

শল্য বললেন—হে নরশ্রেষ্ঠ দুর্যোধন, এখন তুমি তোমার নগরে যাও। আমি শত্রুদমন যুধিষ্ঠিরের সঙ্গে সাক্ষাৎ করতে যাব। হে নৃপতি, যুধিষ্ঠিরকে দেখে আমি শীঘ্রই ফিরে আসব। সেই পাণ্ডব—পুরুষর্ষভ—অবশ্যই দেখা করা কর্তব্য।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'शल्य (Śalya)', 'definition': 'King of Madra

• here the speaker'}, {'term': 'नरश्रेष्ठ (naraśreṣṭha)', 'definition': 'best among men

• honorific address'}, {'term': 'दुर्योधन (Duryodhana)', 'definition': 'eldest Kaurava prince'}, {'term': 'नगर / स्वनगर (nagara / svanagara)', 'definition': 'city

• one’s own city'}, {'term': 'शत्रुदमन (śatrudamana)', 'definition': 'subduer of enemies

• epithet (here of Yudhiṣṭhira)'}, {'term': 'युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'definition': 'eldest Pāṇḍava

• kingly exemplar of dharma'}, {'term': 'दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā)', 'definition': 'having seen

• after meeting'}, {'term': 'राजन् (rājan)', 'definition': 'O king

• vocative'}, {'term': 'क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram)', 'definition': 'quickly'}, {'term': 'नराधिप / नरेश्वर (narādhipa / nareśvara)', 'definition': 'lord of men

• ruler'}, {'term': 'अवश्यम् (avaśyam)', 'definition': 'certainly

• necessarily'}, {'term': 'द्रष्टव्यः (draṣṭavyaḥ)', 'definition': 'to be seen/met

• must be visited'}, {'term': 'पाण्डव (pāṇḍava)', 'definition': 'son of Pāṇḍu

• the Pāṇḍava (here Yudhiṣṭhira)'}, {'term': 'पुरुषर्षभ (puruṣarṣabha)', 'definition': 'bull among men

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Duryodhana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍava(s)
• nagara (city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid looming conflict, a ruler’s conduct should include timely counsel and necessary meetings; Śalya frames the visit to Yudhiṣṭhira as an obligation, implying that political decisions must be informed by direct engagement and respect for worthy opponents.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya addresses Duryodhana, instructing him to return to his city while Śalya himself goes to meet Yudhiṣṭhira. He promises a swift return and emphasizes that meeting the Pāṇḍava leader is indispensable, reflecting the tense diplomatic movements before war.