Shloka 12

शल्य–युधिष्ठिरयुद्धप्रारम्भः

Commencement of the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel

Devanagari script

ततस्तु नकुलः शूरो धर्मराजे प्रपीडिते | अभिदुद्राव वेगेन मातुलं मातृनन्दन:,जब धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर शल्यकी मारसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो गये, तब माताको आनन्दित करनेवाले शूरवीर नकुलने बड़े वेगसे अपने मामापर आक्रमण किया

Transliteration

tatastu nakulaḥ śūro dharmarāje prapīḍite | abhidudrāva vegena mātulaṃ mātṛnandanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann, als König Yudhiṣṭhira—standhaft im Dharma—schwer bedrängt wurde, stürmte der tapfere Nakula, entschlossen, seine Mutter zu erfreuen und die Pflicht seines Hauses zu wahren, mit großer Geschwindigkeit gegen seinen Onkel mütterlicherseits.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereupon

तुbut/indeed

नकुलःNakula

शूरःheroic, brave

धर्मराजेin/when Dharmaraja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

प्रपीडितेbeing severely afflicted/pressed

अभिदुद्रावran up/charged

वेगेनwith speed, swiftly

मातुलम्maternal uncle

मातृनन्दनःmother-delighter (one who gladdens his mother)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Nakula

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Śalya (maternal uncle of Nakula, implied by mātula)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in crisis: when a righteous leader is endangered, a warrior must act decisively to protect him, even when the opponent is a close relative—showing the painful ethical tension between family ties and duty in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Yudhiṣṭhira is being heavily pressured in battle (by Śalya), Nakula swiftly rushes forward to attack his maternal uncle, attempting to relieve the king and turn the tide.