एतच् छ्रुत्वा महाराज गौतमस्य वचस् तदा ॥
अनुमान्य कृपं राजा प्रययौ येन मद्रराट् ॥
स शल्यम् अभिवाद्याथ कृत्वा चाभिप्रदक्षिणम् ॥
उवाच राजा दुर्धर्षम् आत्मनिःश्रेयसं वचः ॥
अनुमानये त्वां योत्स्यामि गुरो विगतकल्मषः ॥
जयेयं च महाराज अनुज्ञातस् त्वया रिपून् ॥
शल्य उवाच
यदि मां नाभिगच्छेथा युद्धाय कृतनिश्चयः ॥
शपेयं त्वां महाराज पराभावाय वै रणे ॥
तुष्टो ऽस्मि पूजितश् चास्मि यत् काङ्क्षसि तद् अस्तु ते ॥
अनुजानामि चैव त्वां युध्यस्व जयम् आप्नुहि ॥
ब्रूहि चैव परं वीर केनार्थः किं ददामि ते ॥
एवं गते महाराज युद्धाद् अन्यत् किम् इच्छसि ॥
अर्थस्य पुरुषो दासो दासस् त्व् अर्थो न कस्य चित् ॥
इति सत्यं महाराज बद्धो ऽस्म्य् अर्थेन कौरवैः ॥
करिष्यामि हि ते कामं भागिनेय यथेप्सितम् ॥
ब्रवीम्य् अतः क्लीबवत् त्वां युद्धाद् अन्यत् किम् इच्छसि ॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
मन्त्रयस्व महाराज नित्यं मद्धितम् उत्तमम् ॥
कामं युध्य परस्यार्थे वरम् एतद् वृणोम्य् अहम् ॥
शल्य उवाच
ब्रूहि किम् अत्र साह्यं ते करोमि नृपसत्तम ॥
कामं योत्स्ये परस्यार्थे वृतो ऽस्म्य् अर्थेन कौरवैः ॥
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
स एव मे वरः सत्य उद्योगे यस् त्वया कृतः ॥
सूतपुत्रस्य संग्रामे कार्यस् तेजोवधस् त्वया ॥
शल्य उवाच
संपत्स्यत्य् एष ते कामः कुन्तीपुत्र यथेप्सितः ॥
गच्छ युध्यस्व विस्रब्धं प्रतिजाने जयं तव ॥
etac chrutvā mahārāja gautamasya vacas tadā ||
anumānya kṛpaṃ rājā prayayau yena madrarāṭ ||
sa śalyam abhivādyātha kṛtvā cābhipradakṣiṇam ||
uvāca rājā durdharṣam ātmaniḥśreyasaṃ vacaḥ ||
anumānaye tvāṃ yotsyāmi guro vigatakalmaṣaḥ ||
jayeyaṃ ca mahārāja anujñātas tvayā ripūn ||
śalya uvāca
yadi māṃ nābhigacchethā yuddhāya kṛtaniścayaḥ ||
śapeyaṃ tvāṃ mahārāja parābhāvāya vai raṇe ||
tuṣṭo 'smi pūjitaś cāsmi yat kāṅkṣasi tad astu te ||
anujānāmi caiva tvāṃ yudhyasva jayam āpnuhi ||
brūhi caiva paraṃ vīra kenārthaḥ kiṃ dadāmi te ||
evaṃ gate mahārāja yuddhād anyat kim icchasi ||
arthasya puruṣo dāso dāsas tv artho na kasya cit ||
iti satyaṃ mahārāja baddho 'smy arthena kauravaiḥ ||
kariṣyāmi hi te kāmaṃ bhāgineya yathepsitam ||
bravīmy ataḥ klībavat tvāṃ yuddhād anyat kim icchasi ||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
mantrayasva mahārāja nityaṃ maddhitam uttamam ||
kāmaṃ yudhya parasyārthe varam etad vṛṇomy aham ||
śalya uvāca
brūhi kim atra sāhyaṃ te karomi nṛpasattama ||
kāmaṃ yotsye parasyārthe vṛto 'smy arthena kauravaiḥ ||
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
sa eva me varaḥ satya udyoge yas tvayā kṛtaḥ ||
sūtaputrasya saṃgrāme kāryas tejovadhas tvayā ||
śalya uvāca
saṃpatsyaty eṣa te kāmaḥ kuntīputra yathepsitaḥ ||
gaccha yudhyasva visrabdhaṃ pratijāne jayaṃ tava ||
Having heard the words of Gautama, Yudhishthira honored Kripa and went to where the king of Madra was. Having bowed to Shalya and circled him respectfully, the king spoke words meant for his own highest good to that unassailable lord: "O teacher, I ask your permission. With your leave, great king, may I fight without sin, and may I conquer my enemies." Shalya replied: "Had you not come to me after resolving upon battle, I would have cursed you to defeat in war. I am pleased and honored. May whatever you desire come to pass. I grant you leave: fight and win victory. Tell me, best of heroes, what is your need, and what shall I give you? What do you desire besides the battle itself? The truth is this: man is the slave of gain, but gain is slave to no one. I am bound by the support of the Kauravas. I will fulfill your wish, nephew, as you desire; so I say to you as one who is powerless: what do you want besides the battle?" Yudhishthira said: "O great king, always give me the highest counsel for my good. Fight for another's cause — this is the boon I choose. And let the promise you made before, during the Udyoga, be fulfilled: in battle with the charioteer's son, you must break his vigor." Shalya said: "O son of Kunti, this wish of yours shall be fulfilled as you desire. Go and fight with confidence: I promise you victory."
04796efb4cf0 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:12:34 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Shalya is bound to the side of the Kauravas, yet he remains Yudhishthira's kinsman and one who grants him blessing. His promise will later become part of a subtle strategy against Karna: victory in a righteous war sometimes requires not brute force but knowledge of pride's weak point.