Shloka 19
(यथैव पाण्डवास्तुभ्यं तथैव भवते हाहम् । अनुमान्यं च पाल्यं च भक्त च भज मां विभो ।। आपके लिये जैसे पाण्डव हैं, वैसा ही मैं हूँ। प्रभो! मैं आपका भक्त होनेके कारण आपके द्वारा समादृत और पालित होने योग्य हूँ। अत: मुझे अपनाइये। शल्य उवाच एवमेतन्महाराज यथा वदसि पार्थिव । एवं ददामि ते प्रीत एवमेतद् भविष्यति ।। ) शल्यने कहा--महाराज! तुम्हारा कहना ठीक है। भूपाल! तुम जैसा कहते हो, वैसा ही वर तुम्हें प्रसन्नतापूर्वक देता हूँ। यह ऐसा ही होगा--मैं तुम्हारी सेनाका अधिनायक बनूँगा। वैशम्पायन उवाच कृतमित्यब्रवीच्छल्य: किमन्यत् क्रियतामिति । कृतमित्येव गान्धारि: प्रत्युवाच पुनः पुन:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! उस समय शल्यने दुर्योधनसे कहा--'तुम्हारी यह प्रार्था तो स्वीकार कर ली। अब और कौन-सा कार्य करूँ?” यह सुनकर गान्धारीनन्दन दुर्योधनने बार-बार यही कहा कि मेरा तो सब काम आपने पूरा कर दिया
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | (yathaiva pāṇḍavās tubhyaṃ tathaiva bhavate hāham | anumān̄yaṃ ca pālyaṃ ca bhaktaś ca bhaja māṃ vibho ||) śalya uvāca | evam etan mahārāja yathā vadasi pārthiva | evaṃ dadāmi te prīta evam etad bhaviṣyati || vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | kṛtam ity abravīc chalyaḥ kim anyat kriyatām iti | kṛtam ity eva gāndhāriḥ pratyuvāca punaḥ punaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “Just as the Pāṇḍavas are dear to you, so am I. O Lord, because I am your devotee, I deserve to be accepted and protected by you; therefore, take me under your care.” Śalya replied: “So it is, O great king; O ruler of men, what you say is right. Pleased, I grant you this boon; it shall be so.” Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then Śalya said, “It is done. What else shall I do?” Hearing this, Duryodhana, the son of Gāndhārī, again and again replied, “It is done—everything of mine has been accomplished by you,” implying that Śalya would become commander of his forces.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how loyalty and the language of devotion can be used to claim protection and honor from a powerful patron, and how kingship operates through granting boons that create binding obligations—ethical pressure is created by promises publicly affirmed as ‘kṛtam’ (done).
In the lead-up to war, Duryodhana secures Śalya’s commitment: Śalya agrees to grant what Duryodhana asks, and the exchange is sealed with repeated affirmations that the request is fulfilled—understood as Śalya becoming the leader of Duryodhana’s forces.