Shloka 36
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
युधिष्ठिरस्तु देवेन्द्रमेवंवादिनमी श्वरम् । पुनरेवाब्रवीद् धीमानिदं वचनमर्थवत्,ऐसी बात कहते हुए ऐश्वर्यशाली देवराजसे बुद्धिमान् युधिष्ठिरने पुनः यह अर्थयुक्त वचन कहा--
yudhiṣṭhiras tu devendram evaṃ-vādinam īśvaram | punar evābravīd dhīmān idaṃ vacanam arthavat ||
毗舍波耶那说：当因陀罗——诸天之主——如此言说之时，智者尤提施提罗又一次以意旨分明的话语答复他——表明即便面对神圣权威，他也将依循合乎理性的法（dharma）与有意义的言辞，而非仅仅俯首顺从。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Meaningful speech grounded in discernment is integral to dharma: Yudhiṣṭhira does not abandon ethical reasoning even when addressing a divine sovereign, showing that righteousness involves thoughtful, purposeful articulation.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that after Indra has spoken, Yudhiṣṭhira responds again, preparing to state a significant point—continuing the moral dialogue central to the Mahāprasthānika episode.