Shloka 23
वैशम्पायन उवाच अथोत्तरस्त्वरमाण: स दूता- नाज्ञापयद् वचनात् फाल्गुनस्य | आचक्षध्वं विजयं पार्थिवस्य भग्ना: परे विजिताश्चापि गाव:,क्षुत्पिपासापरिश्रान्ता विदेशस्था विचेतस: । जब कौरव-दलके लोग चले गये या इधर-उधर सब दिशाओंमें भाग गये, उस समय बहुत-से कौरवसैनिक जो घने जंगलमें छिपे हुए थे, वहाँसे निकलकर डरते-डरते अर्जुनके पास आये। उनके मनमें भय समा गया था। वे भूखे-प्यासे और थके-माँदे थे। परदेशमें होनेके कारण उनके हृदयकी व्याकुलता और बढ़ गयी थी। वे उस समय केश खोले और हाथ जोड़े हुए खड़े दिखायी दिये स शत्रुसेनामभि भूय सर्वा- माच्छिद्य सर्व च धनं कुरुभ्य: । वैराटिरायान्नगरं प्रतीतो बृहन्नलासारथिना प्रवीर: इस तरह शत्रुओंकी सम्पूर्ण सेनाको पराजित करके कौरवोंसे सारा गोधन छीनकर विराटकुमार वीर उत्तर बृहन्नला सारथिके साथ प्रसन्नतापूर्वक नगरकी ओर प्रस्थित हुआ
vaiśampāyana uvāca athottaras tvaramāṇaḥ sa dūtān ājñāpayad vacanāt phālgunasya | ācakṣadhvaṁ vijayaṁ pārthivasya bhagnāḥ pare vijitāś cāpi gāvaḥ kṣutpipāsāpariśrāntā videśasthā viceṭasaḥ | sa śatrusenām abhibhūya sarvām ācchidya sarvaṁ ca dhanaṁ kurubhyaḥ | vairāṭir āyān nagaraṁ pratītaḥ bṛhannalāsārathinā pravīraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Uttara, in haste, at the instruction of Phālguna (Arjuna), ordered the messengers: “Proclaim the victory of the prince! The enemy has been broken; the cattle too have been recovered—though the foes, defeated, are scattered, hungry, thirsty, and exhausted, bewildered in a foreign land.” Having thus overcome the entire hostile force and seized back all the wealth from the Kurus, the valiant prince of Virāṭa set out joyfully toward the city, with Bṛhannalā as his charioteer.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the kṣatriya duty of protecting subjects’ wealth (here, the cattle) and the ethical dimension of victory: the rightful restoration of what was seized, guided by disciplined leadership (Uttara acting under Arjuna’s direction) rather than mere boasting or cruelty toward a routed foe.
After Arjuna (disguised as Bṛhannalā) defeats the Kaurava force that tried to seize Virāṭa’s cattle, Uttara orders messengers to announce the victory and the recovery of the herd. The defeated Kauravas are described as scattered, exhausted, and disoriented. Uttara then returns to the city, pleased, with Bṛhannalā as his charioteer.