Indra's Return and Shalya's Promise

Verse 1 (5.18.1)

ततः शक्रः स्तूयमानो गन्धर्वाप्सरसां गणैः । ऐरावतं समारुह्य द्विपेन्द्रं लक्षणैर्युतम् ॥

tataḥ śakraḥ stūyamāno gandharvāpsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ | airāvataṃ samāruhya dvipendraṃ lakṣaṇairyutam

Then Shakra, praised by the troops of gandharvas and apsarases, mounted Airavata, lord of elephants, endowed with auspicious marks.

Verse 2 (5.18.2)

पावकः सुमहातेजा महर्षिश्च बृहस्पतिः । यमश्च वरुणश्चैव कुबेरश्च धनेश्वरः ॥

pāvakaḥ sumahātejā maharṣiśca bṛhaspatiḥ | yamaśca varuṇaścaiva kuberaśca dhaneśvaraḥ

Agni of great splendour, the great seer Brihaspati, Yama, Varuna, and Kubera, lord of wealth —

Verse 3 (5.18.3)

सर्वैर्देवैः परिवृतः शक्रो वृत्रनिषूदनः । गन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च यातस्त्रिभुवनं प्रभुः ॥

sarvairdevaiḥ parivṛtaḥ śakro vṛtraniṣūdanaḥ | gandharvairapsarobhiśca yātastribhuvanaṃ prabhuḥ

surrounded by all these gods, the lord Shakra, slayer of Vritra, went with the gandharvas and apsarases to the realm of the three worlds.

Verse 4 (5.18.4)

स समेत्य महेन्द्राण्या देवराजः शतक्रतुः । मुदा परमया युक्तः पालयामास देवराट् ॥

sa sametya mahendrāṇyā devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ | mudā paramayā yuktaḥ pālayāmāsa devarāṭ

Reunited with Indrani, Shatakratu, king of the gods, filled with the highest joy, ruled as sovereign of the gods.

Verse 5 (5.18.5)

ततः स भगवांस्तत्र अङ्गिराः समदृश्यत । अथर्ववेदमन्त्रैश्च देवेन्द्रं समपूजयत् ॥

tataḥ sa bhagavāṃstatra aṅgirāḥ samadṛśyata | atharvavedamantraiśca devendraṃ samapūjayat

Then the blessed Angiras appeared there and worshipped the lord of the gods with mantras of the Atharvaveda.

Verse 6 (5.18.6)

ततस्तु भगवानिन्द्रः संहृष्टः समपद्यत । वरं च प्रददौ तस्मै अथर्वाङ्गिरसे तदा ॥

tatastu bhagavānindraḥ saṃhṛṣṭaḥ samapadyata | varaṃ ca pradadau tasmai atharvāṅgirase tadā

At this the blessed Indra was delighted, and he granted a boon to Atharvangiras.

Verse 7 (5.18.7)

अथर्वाङ्गिरसं नाम वेदेऽस्मिन्वै भविष्यति । उदाहरणमेतद्धि यज्ञभागं च लप्स्यसे ॥

atharvāṅgirasaṃ nāma vede'sminvai bhaviṣyati | udāharaṇametaddhi yajñabhāgaṃ ca lapsyase

In this Veda you will bear the name Atharvangiras; this shall be the proof of it, and you shall also receive a share in the sacrifice.

Note on the text: Speaker: Indra's boon fills this verse without a printed heading; given to Indra.

Verse 8 (5.18.8)

एवं संपूज्य भगवानथर्वाङ्गिरसं तदा । व्यसर्जयन्महाराज देवराजः शतक्रतुः ॥

evaṃ saṃpūjya bhagavānatharvāṅgirasaṃ tadā | vyasarjayanmahārāja devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ

Having thus honoured Atharvangiras, the blessed Shatakratu, king of the gods, sent him on his way, great king.

Verse 9 (5.18.9)

संपूज्य सर्वांस्त्रिदशानृषींश्चापि तपोधनान् । इन्द्रः प्रमुदितो राजन्धर्मेणापालयत्प्रजाः ॥

saṃpūjya sarvāṃstridaśānṛṣīṃścāpi tapodhanān | indraḥ pramudito rājandharmeṇāpālayatprajāḥ

Having honoured all the thirty gods and the seers rich in austerity, Indra, rejoicing, ruled his subjects righteously, O king.

Verse 10 (5.18.10)

एवं दुःखमनुप्राप्तमिन्द्रेण सह भार्यया । अज्ञातवासश्च कृतः शत्रूणां वधकाङ्क्षया ॥

evaṃ duḥkhamanuprāptamindreṇa saha bhāryayā | ajñātavāsaśca kṛtaḥ śatrūṇāṃ vadhakāṅkṣayā

Thus Indra too, together with his wife, met with suffering, and lived unrecognized, seeking the death of his enemies.

Verse 11 (5.18.11)

नात्र मन्युस्त्वया कार्यो यत्क्लिष्टोऽसि महावने । द्रौपद्या सह राजेन्द्र भ्रातृभिश्च महात्मभिः ॥

nātra manyustvayā kāryo yatkliṣṭo'si mahāvane | draupadyā saha rājendra bhrātṛbhiśca mahātmabhiḥ

You should not grieve, king of kings, that you suffered in the great forest with Draupadi and your noble brothers.

Verse 12 (5.18.12)

एवं त्वमपि राजेन्द्र राज्यं प्राप्स्यसि भारत । वृत्रं हत्वा यथा प्राप्तः शक्रः कौरवनन्दन ॥

evaṃ tvamapi rājendra rājyaṃ prāpsyasi bhārata | vṛtraṃ hatvā yathā prāptaḥ śakraḥ kauravanandana

In the same way you too, king of kings, Bharata, joy of the Kurus, will win back your kingdom, as Shakra regained his by slaying Vritra.

Verse 13 (5.18.13)

दुराचारश्च नहुषो ब्रह्मद्विट् पापचेतनः । अगस्त्यशापाभिहतो विनष्टः शाश्वतीः समाः ॥

durācāraśca nahuṣo brahmadviṭ pāpacetanaḥ | agastyaśāpābhihato vinaṣṭaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ

The wicked Nahusha, hater of brahmins, evil-minded, struck by Agastya's curse, was ruined for endless years.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रह्वद्विट् → ब्रह्मद्विट् (misprint in Wikisource; "hater of brahmins", as the critical edition reads brahmadviṭ).

Verse 14 (5.18.14)

एवं तव दुरात्मानः शत्रवः शत्रुसूदन । क्षिप्रं नाशं गमिष्यन्ति कर्णदुर्योधनादयः ॥

evaṃ tava durātmānaḥ śatravaḥ śatrusūdana | kṣipraṃ nāśaṃ gamiṣyanti karṇaduryodhanādayaḥ

So too your wicked enemies, slayer of foes — Karna, Duryodhana and the rest — will swiftly perish.

Verse 15 (5.18.15)

ततः सागरपर्यन्तां भोक्ष्यसे मेदिनीमिमाम् । भ्रातृभिः सहितो वीर द्रौपद्या च सहानया ॥

tataḥ sāgaraparyantāṃ bhokṣyase medinīmimām | bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito vīra draupadyā ca sahānayā

Then, hero, together with your brothers and with Draupadi here, you shall enjoy this earth bounded by the sea.

Verse 16 (5.18.16)

उपाख्यानमिदं शक्रविजयं वेदसंमितम् । राज्ञा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु श्रोतव्यं जयमिच्छता ॥

upākhyānamidaṃ śakravijayaṃ vedasaṃmitam | rājñā vyūḍheṣvanīkeṣu śrotavyaṃ jayamicchatā

This tale of Shakra's victory is equal to the Veda. A king who desires victory should hear it when his armies are drawn up for battle.

Verse 17 (5.18.17)

तस्मात्संश्रावयामि त्वां विजयं जयतां वर । संस्तूयमाना वर्धन्ते महात्मानो युधिष्ठिर ॥

tasmātsaṃśrāvayāmi tvāṃ vijayaṃ jayatāṃ vara | saṃstūyamānā vardhante mahātmāno yudhiṣṭhira

Therefore I have made you hear this tale of victory, best of victors. Great-souled men grow greater when they are praised, Yudhishthira.

Verse 18 (5.18.18)

क्षत्रियाणामभावोऽयं युधिष्ठिर महात्मनाम् । दुर्योधनापराधेन भीमार्जुनबलेन च । सङ्ग्रामे संक्षयो घोरो भविष्यत्यचिरादिव ॥

kṣatriyāṇāmabhāvo'yaṃ yudhiṣṭhira mahātmanām | duryodhanāparādhena bhīmārjunabalena ca | saṅgrāme saṃkṣayo ghoro bhaviṣyatyacirādiva

This destruction of great-souled kshatriyas, Yudhishthira, through Duryodhana's offence and the might of Bhima and Arjuna — a terrible slaughter in battle — will come to pass before long.

Note on the text: Corrected क्षत्रियाणामभावोयं → क्षत्रियाणामभावोऽयं (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha: अभावः अयम्, "this destruction"). Third line (सङ्ग्रामे संक्षयो घोरो …) is not in the critical edition's constituted text; it appears in its apparatus as 117*, after 5.18.18.

Verse 19 (5.18.19)

आख्यानमिन्द्रविजयं य इदं नियतः पठेत् । धूतपाप्मा जितस्वर्गः परत्रेह च मोदते ॥

ākhyānamindravijayaṃ ya idaṃ niyataḥ paṭhet | dhūtapāpmā jitasvargaḥ paratreha ca modate

Whoever, self-controlled, recites this tale of Indra's victory is cleansed of sin, wins heaven, and rejoices both here and in the world beyond.

Verse 20 (5.18.20)

न चारिजं भयं तस्य नापुत्रो वा भवेन्नरः । नापदं प्राप्नुयात्कांचिद्दीर्घमायुश्च विन्दति । सर्वत्र जयमाप्नोति न कदाचित्पराजयम् ॥

na cārijaṃ bhayaṃ tasya nāputro vā bhavennaraḥ | nāpadaṃ prāpnuyātkāṃciddīrghamāyuśca vindati | sarvatra jayamāpnoti na kadācitparājayam

He has no fear of enemies, nor will such a man be without a son; he meets with no misfortune and gains long life. Everywhere he wins victory, and never defeat.

Note on the text: Corrected दयमाप्नोति → जयमाप्नोति (misprint in Wikisource; जयम्, "victory", which the verse sets against पराजयम्; the critical edition reads jayam āpnoti).

Verse 21 (5.18.21)

एवमाश्वासितो राजा शल्येन भरतर्षभ । पूजयामास विधिवच्छल्यं धर्मभृतां वरः ॥

evamāśvāsito rājā śalyena bharatarṣabha | pūjayāmāsa vidhivacchalyaṃ dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ

Thus comforted by Shalya, O bull of the Bharatas, the king, best of those who uphold dharma, honoured Shalya with due rites.

Verse 22 (5.18.22)

श्रुत्वा तु शल्यवचनं कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । प्रत्युवाच महाबाहुर्मद्रराजमिदं वचः ॥

śrutvā tu śalyavacanaṃ kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | pratyuvāca mahābāhurmadrarājamidaṃ vacaḥ

Having heard Shalya's words, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, answered the king of the Madras with these words:

Verse 23 (5.18.23)

भवान्कर्णस्य सारथ्यं करिष्यति न संशयः । तत्र तेजोवधः कार्यः कर्णस्यार्जुनसंस्तवैः ॥

bhavānkarṇasya sārathyaṃ kariṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | tatra tejovadhaḥ kāryaḥ karṇasyārjunasaṃstavaiḥ

You will drive Karna's chariot; of that there is no doubt. When you do, you must break Karna's spirit by praising Arjuna.

Note on the text: Speaker: Yudhishthira's request fills this verse without a printed heading; given to Yudhishthira.

Verse 24 (5.18.24)

एवमेतत्करिष्यामि यथा मां संप्रभाषसे । यच्चान्यदपि शक्ष्यामि तत्करिष्याम्यहं तव ॥

evametatkariṣyāmi yathā māṃ saṃprabhāṣase | yaccānyadapi śakṣyāmi tatkariṣyāmyahaṃ tava

I will do just as you tell me, and whatever else I can do, that too I will do for you.

Verse 25 (5.18.25)

ततस्त्वामन्त्र्य कौन्तेयाञ्छल्यो मद्राधिपस्तदा । जगाम सबलः श्रीमान्दुर्योधनमरिन्दम ॥

tatastvāmantrya kaunteyāñchalyo madrādhipastadā | jagāma sabalaḥ śrīmānduryodhanamarindama

Then Shalya, the glorious lord of the Madras, took leave of the sons of Kunti and went with his army to Duryodhana, O tamer of foes.