Shloka 22
Indra-vijaya Upākhyāna and Śalya’s Assurance to Yudhiṣṭhira (इन्द्रविजयोपाख्यानम् — शल्ययुधिष्ठिरसंवादः)
श्रुत्वा तु शल्यवचन कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: । प्रत्युवाच महाबाहुर्मद्रराजमिदं वच:,शल्यकी बात सुनकर कदुन्तीपुत्र महाबाहु युधिष्ठछिर मद्रराजसे यह वचन बोले --
śrutvā tu śalyavacanaṁ kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | pratyuvāca mahābāhur madrarājam idaṁ vacaḥ ||
ശല്യന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് കുന്തീപുത്രനായ മഹാബാഹു യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ മദ്രരാജനോട് ഇങ്ങനെ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds disciplined response (pratyuvāca) after listening (śrutvā): ethical speech begins with attentive hearing, especially in tense political circumstances where counsel and reply can shape dharma and outcomes.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, after hearing Śalya (the king of Madra), prepares to answer him; it functions as a transition into Yudhiṣṭhira’s forthcoming statement in the dialogue.