Shloka 4
Indra-vijaya Upākhyāna and Śalya’s Assurance to Yudhiṣṭhira (इन्द्रविजयोपाख्यानम् — शल्ययुधिष्ठिरसंवादः)
स समेत्य महेन्द्राण्या देवराज: शतक्रतुः । मुदा परमया युक्त: पालयामास देवराट्,सौ यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान करनेवाले देवराज इन्द्र अपनी महारानी शचीसे मिलकर अत्यन्त आनन्दित हो स्वर्गका पालन करने लगे
sa sametya mahendrāṇyā devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ | mudā paramayā yuktaḥ pālayāmāsa devarāṭ ||
Śalya said: Indra, the king of the gods—renowned as Śatakratu, the performer of a hundred sacrifices—reunited with his chief queen (Mahendrāṇī, Śacī). Filled with supreme joy, the divine sovereign resumed the guardianship and orderly rule of heaven, suggesting that rightful governance is strengthened when harmony, legitimate partnership, and ritual merit are intact.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ideal of governance: legitimate authority (devarāṭ), sustained by merit and duty (śatakratu, yajña), becomes stable and effective when joined with harmony and rightful partnership (reunion with Mahendrāṇī), resulting in the protection and maintenance of order (pālayāmāsa).
Śalya narrates that Indra, after reuniting with his queen Śacī (Mahendrāṇī), feels great joy and resumes ruling and safeguarding heaven, emphasizing the restoration of divine order and well-being in Svarga.