Shloka 31
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
तान् प्रत्यगृह्नात् पुत्रस्ते मद्रराजश्न वीर्यवान्
tān pratyagṛhṇāt putras te madrarājaś ca vīryavān
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Ang iyong anak, at gayundin ang makapangyarihang hari ng Madra, ay sinalubong sila bilang tugon—tinatanggap at ibinabalik ang inihahain sa walang humpay na palitan ng digmaan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, outcomes turn on responsive action—what is taken is often met with a counter-taking. The verse highlights valor and strategic reciprocity, reminding the listener that power in conflict is dynamic and contingent, not fixed.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana) and the Madra king (Śalya) ‘received them back’—i.e., they accepted or recovered the previously referenced persons/things, indicating a moment of successful retrieval or acceptance during the ongoing battle account.