Shloka 223
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
पाण्डवानां प्रसादेन भोक्ष्ये राज्यमहं कथम् | “अभिमन्युके विनाशसे जिनके हृदयमें गहरी चोट पहुँची है
pāṇḍavānāṃ prasādena bhokṣye rājyam ahaṃ katham |
سنجے نے کہا—“پانڈوؤں کے فضل سے میں سلطنت کیسے بھوگوں؟” سمندر تک پھیلی زمین کو پہلے ہی یکچھتر بھوگ چکنے کے بعد، اب پانڈوؤں کی عنایت کا محتاج بن کر راج بھوگ کرنا مجھے کیسے گوارا ہو؟
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical psychology of kingship in epic culture: accepting rule as a gift from one’s rivals can be felt as loss of autonomy and honor. It frames political settlement not only as a practical outcome but as a moral-emotional issue tied to dignity, legitimacy, and the warrior code.
In the Shalya Parva context, Sañjaya reports a speaker’s refusal to accept a kingdom dependent on the Pāṇḍavas’ grace. The statement underscores resistance to compromise after intense conflict, where the prospect of living under an opponent’s ‘favor’ is rejected as intolerable.