Shloka 91
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
युधिष्ठिरं च प्रशशंसुराजौ पुरा कृते वृत्रवधे यथेन्द्रम् । चक्रुश्न नानाविधवाद्यशब्दान् निनादयन्तो वसुधां समेता:,जैसे पूर्वकालमें वृत्रासुरका वध करनेपर देवताओंने इन्द्रकी स्तुति की थी, उसी प्रकार सब पाण्डवोंने रणभूमिमें युधिष्ठिरकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा की और पृथ्वीको प्रतिध्वनित करते हुए वे सब लोग नाना प्रकारके वाद्योंकी ध्वनि फैलाने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca praśaśaṃsur ājau purā kṛte vṛtravadhye yathendram |
cakruś ca nānāvidha-vādya-śabdān ninādayanto vasudhāṃ sametāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Just as, in former times, the gods praised Indra after the slaying of Vṛtra, so too on the battlefield all the Pāṇḍavas lavishly praised Yudhiṣṭhira; gathered together, they made the earth resound as they set forth the sounds of many kinds of war-instruments. The scene frames Yudhiṣṭhira’s kingship as dharmic victory—celebrated not merely as martial success, but as the rightful restoration of order.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links rightful victory with dharmic legitimacy: Yudhiṣṭhira is praised in a manner parallel to Indra after Vṛtra’s defeat, suggesting that triumph is ethically meaningful when it restores order and is acknowledged by the righteous community.
After a significant moment in the battle, the Pāṇḍavas collectively extol Yudhiṣṭhira on the field and have various instruments sounded, making the ground reverberate—an audible public affirmation of his leadership and success.