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 ।। दृष्टवा युधिष्िरं राजन क्षिप्रमेष्ये नराधिप । अवश्य॑ चापि द्रष्टव्य: पाण्डव: पुरुषर्षभ:,नरेश्वर! मैं युधिष्ठिस्से मिलकर शीघ्र ही लौट आऊँगा। पाण्बुपुत्र नरश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरसे मिलना भी अत्यन्त आवश्यक है

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

Śalya sprach: „O Bester der Menschen, Duryodhana, geh nun in deine Stadt. Ich werde Yudhiṣṭhira aufsuchen, den Bezwinger der Feinde. Nachdem ich Yudhiṣṭhira gesehen habe, o König, kehre ich rasch zurück, o Herr der Menschen. Wahrlich, diesem Pāṇḍava — dem Stier unter den Menschen — muss man ohne Fehl begegnen.“

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.