Shloka 23

Bhīmasena’s Digvijaya and Tribute Return (भीमस्य दिग्विजयः धननिवेदनं च)

Devanagari script

गृहीत्वा तु बल॑ सारं फाल्गुन: पाण्डुनन्दन: । दरदान्‌ सह काम्बोजैरजयत्‌ पाकशासनि:,पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनने अपने साथ शक्तिशालिनी सेना लेकर काम्बोजोंके साथ दरदोंको भी जीत लिया

Transliteration

gṛhītvā tu bala-sāraṃ phālgunaḥ pāṇḍu-nandanaḥ | daradān saha kāmbojair ajayat pākaśāsaniḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then Phālguna (Arjuna), the son of Pāṇḍu, taking with him the very essence of military strength, conquered the Daradas together with the Kāmbojas—thus acting as the chastiser of foes, like Indra (Pākaśāsani).

Word by Word

गृहीत्वाhaving taken

तुbut/indeed

बलसारम्the strength/essence of an army; a powerful force

फाल्गुनःPhalguna (Arjuna)

पाण्डुनन्दनःson of Pandu

दरदान्the Daradas (people)

सहtogether with

काम्बोजैःwith the Kambojas

अजयत्conquered

पाकशासनिःin (the realm of) Pakashasani (Indra); i.e., in Indra’s region/direction

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Pāṇḍu

Daradas

Kāmbojas

Pākaśāsani (Indra)

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?

The verse frames conquest as a function of disciplined royal power: a ruler (or royal agent) must employ the 'essence' of strength—trained, organized force—toward establishing political stability. The Indra-epithet suggests that power is ideally exercised as controlled chastisement of disorder rather than as uncontrolled violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the wider campaign of subduing regions for imperial consolidation, Arjuna (Phālguna), leading an elite force, defeats the Daradas and also brings the Kāmbojas under control, being compared to Indra (Pākaśāsani) for his victorious, punitive might.