Shloka 26

Devanagari script

समेत्य च महाबाहु: शल्य: पाण्डुसुतैस्तदा । पाद्यमर्घ्य च गां चैव प्रत्यगृह्नाद्‌ यथाविधि

Transliteration

sametya ca mahābāhuḥ śalyaḥ pāṇḍusutais tadā | pādyam arghyaṃ ca gāṃ caiva pratyagṛhṇād yathāvidhi ||

Translation

Затем Шалья, могучерукий, встретившись с сыновьями Панду, принял—по установленному обычаю—воду для омовения ног, почётное подношение (аргхью) и также корову. Сцена подчёркивает связывающую силу гостеприимства и ритуальной правильности, посредством которых отношения и обязательства торжественно утверждаются.

Word by Word

समेत्यhaving met/approached

चand

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed (one)

शल्यःShalya

पाण्डुसुतैःby/with the sons of Pandu

तदाthen

पाद्यम्water for washing the feet

अर्घ्यम्honorary offering (arghya)

चand

गाम्a cow

चand

एवindeed/also

प्रत्यगृह्णात्accepted/received

यथाविधिaccording to proper rule

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śalya

Pāṇḍusuta (sons of Pāṇḍu / Pāṇḍavas)

pādya (foot-washing water)

arghya (honor-offering)

cow (gā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as proper hospitality and ritual decorum: honoring a guest with prescribed offerings creates and confirms social bonds and obligations, and accepting them signifies recognition of that relationship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya meets the Pāṇḍavas and, following customary procedure, receives the guest-honoring items—pādya, arghya, and a cow—marking a formal, ritually sanctioned reception.