Shloka 6

Devanagari script

गुरुवात्सल्यमत्यन्तं नैभृत्यं विनयो दम: । नकुले<प्रातिरूप्यं च शौर्य च नियतानि षट्‌,बड़े भाईके प्रति अत्यन्त भक्ति, अपने पराक्रमको प्रकाशित न करना, विनयशीलता, इन्द्रिय-संयम, उपमा-रहित रूप तथा शौर्य--ये नकुलमें छः: गुण निश्चितरूपसे निवास करते हैं

Transliteration

guruvātsalyam atyantaṁ naibhṛtyaṁ vinayo damaḥ | nakule prātirūpyaṁ ca śauryaṁ ca niyatāni ṣaṭ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: In Nakula there dwell, firmly and unmistakably, six settled virtues—deep affection and loyalty toward his elders and teachers, the habit of keeping his prowess unadvertised, humility, self-restraint, incomparable comeliness, and valor.

Word by Word

गुरुवात्सल्यम्affection/devotion toward elders (esp. elder brother/teacher)

अत्यन्तम्exceedingly

नैभृत्यम्modesty; not displaying one’s prowess

विनयःhumility; good conduct

दमःself-control (sense-restraint)

नकुलेin Nakula

अप्रातिरूप्यम्unmatched beauty; incomparable form

चand

शौर्यम्valor

चand

नियतानिfixed; certainly present

षट्six

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Nakula

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True excellence in a warrior is not mere strength but disciplined character: reverence for elders, modesty that avoids self-advertisement, humility, and self-control, with beauty and valor held in balance by ethical restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the Kurukṣetra events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, pauses to describe Nakula’s established qualities, highlighting his moral and personal virtues alongside his martial courage within the larger war narrative.