Shloka 2
इन्द्रस्य दुःखप्राप्तिः—त्रिशिरोवधः, वृत्रोत्पत्तिः, जृम्भिकाजननम्
Indra’s Distress: Slaying of Triśiras, Birth of Vṛtra, and the Origin of Yawning
शल्य उवाच शृणु राजन् पुरावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् । सभार्येण यथा प्राप्तं दु:खमिन्द्रेण भारत
śalya uvāca śṛṇu rājan purāvṛttam itihāsaṁ purātanam | sabhāryeṇa yathā prāptaṁ duḥkham indreṇa bhārata ||
Śalya đáp: “Tâu đại vương, xin hãy nghe một truyền thuyết cổ xưa từ thuở trước. Hỡi bậc thuộc dòng Bharata, ta sẽ kể lại cách Indra, cùng với hoàng hậu, đã phải chịu nỗi khổ lớn lao—hãy nghe ta.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Śalya frames an ancient exemplum to instruct a king: even the mighty (Indra) can fall into suffering, implying that power does not exempt one from the consequences of actions and that rulers should heed moral counsel.
Śalya begins a traditional story, asking the king to listen. He announces that he will narrate how Indra, along with his wife, encountered great sorrow—setting up a cautionary tale within the Udyoga Parva context of counsel and decision-making.