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Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सुचेतसौ बलिनौ शीघ्रहस्तौ सुशिक्षितौ भ्रातरौ फाल्गुनेन । श्येनौ यथा पक्षिपूगान्‌ रुजन्तौ माद्रीपुत्रौ शेषयेतां न शत्रून्‌,माद्रीनन्दन नकुल और सहदेव भी शुद्धचित्त और बलवान हैं। अस्त्र-संचालनमें उनके हाथोंकी फुर्ती देखने ही योग्य है। स्वयं अर्जुनने अपने उन दोनों भाइयोंको युद्धकी अच्छी शिक्षा दी है। जैसे दो बाज पक्षियोंके समुदायको (सर्वथा) नष्ट कर देते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे दोनों भाई शत्रुओंसे भिड़कर उन्हें जीवित नहीं छोड़ सकते कच्चिद्‌ राजा धृतराष्ट्र: सपुत्र उपेक्षते ब्राह्म॒णातिक्रमान्‌ वै । स्वर्गस्य कच्चिन्न तथा वर्त्मभूता- मुपेक्षते तेषु सदैव वृत्तिम्‌ पुत्रोंसहित राजा धृतराष्ट्र ब्राह्मणोंके प्रति किये गये अपराधोंकी उपेक्षा तो नहीं करते? ब्राह्मणोंको जो सदा वृत्ति दी जाती है, वह स्वर्गलोकमें पहुँचनेका मार्ग है; अतः राजा उस वृत्तिकी उपेक्षा या अवहेलना तो नहीं करते हैं?

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

sucetasau balinau śīghrahastau suśikṣitau bhrātarau phālgūnena |

śyenau yathā pakṣipūgān rujantau mādrīputrau śeṣayetāṃ na śatrūn ||

kaccid rājā dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ saputra upekṣate brāhmaṇātikramān vai |

svargasya kaccin na tathā vartmabhūtām upekṣate teṣu sadaiva vṛttim ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Nakula and Sahadeva, the sons of Mādrī, are pure-minded and strong, with swift hands; they have been well trained by Phālguna (Arjuna). Like two hawks tearing through a flock of birds, those two brothers, once they close with the enemy, would leave no foe alive. And does King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with his sons, truly not disregard the transgressions committed against brāhmaṇas? And does he not neglect the continual maintenance (vṛtti) that is to be provided to them—maintenance that stands as a path leading to heaven?”

Word by Word

सुचेतसौclear-minded (two)

बलिनौstrong (two)

शीघ्रहस्तौhaving swift hands (two)

सुशिक्षितौwell-trained (two)

भ्रातरौtwo brothers

फाल्गुनेनby Phalguna (Arjuna)

श्येनौtwo hawks

यथाas, like

पक्षिपूगान्flocks of birds

रुजन्तौtearing, crushing (they two)

माद्रीपुत्रौthe two sons of Madri

शेषयेताम्would leave/remain (alive), would spare (they two)

नnot

शत्रून्enemies

कच्चित्whether indeed?, I hope

राजाthe king

धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra

सपुत्रःtogether with (his) sons

उपेक्षतेoverlooks, neglects

ब्राह्मणातिक्रमान्transgressions against Brahmins

वैindeed

स्वर्गस्यof heaven

कच्चित्whether indeed?, I hope

नnot

तथाthus, in that way

वर्त्मभूताhaving become a path (i.e., serving as the path)

उपेक्षतेneglects

तेषुin/with regard to them

सदैवalways indeed

वृत्तिम्maintenance, livelihood (stipend)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Nakula

Sahadeva

Mādrī

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

brāhmaṇas

svarga (heaven)

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?

Two linked ideals are emphasized: (1) disciplined martial excellence (Nakula and Sahadeva as well-trained, decisive warriors), and (2) the king’s dharma of honoring and supporting brāhmaṇas—avoiding offences against them and ensuring their regular livelihood (vṛtti), which is presented as a meritorious path leading to heaven.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator highlights the formidable capability of Mādrī’s twin sons, trained by Arjuna, portraying them as unstoppable in battle. Immediately after, the focus shifts to a moral-political concern: whether Dhṛtarāṣṭra (with his sons) is neglecting wrongs done to brāhmaṇas and failing in the ongoing duty of providing them support.