Shloka 1
Indra-vijaya Upākhyāna and Śalya’s Assurance to Yudhiṣṭhira (इन्द्रविजयोपाख्यानम् — शल्ययुधिष्ठिरसंवादः)
हि. 07. 22. बछ। अंक अष्टादशो< ध्याय: इन्द्रका स्वर्गमें जाकर अपने राज्यका पालन करना
śalya uvāca | tataḥ śakraḥ stūyamāno gandharvāpsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ | airāvataṃ samāruhya devendre lakṣaṇair yutam |
Śalya said: “Then Śakra (Indra), while being praised by companies of Gandharvas and Apsarases, mounted Airāvata—the lordly elephant endowed with auspicious marks—and, surrounded by the radiant gods and celestial beings, proceeded to Svarga.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic worldview in which rightful power and protection are affirmed by divine order: Indra’s sovereignty is celebrated through praise (stuti) and auspicious signs, suggesting that authority is ideally linked to merit, cosmic harmony, and the upholding of righteousness.
Śalya narrates that Indra, praised by Gandharvas and Apsarases, mounts his elephant Airāvata and proceeds to Svarga, accompanied by celestial beings—serving as a transition into Śalya’s broader account and counsel within the Udyoga Parva context.