Shloka 22

Devanagari script

हंसचन्द्रप्रतीकाशां नन्दिनीं तां जहार गाम्‌ । कशादण्डप्रणुदितां काल्यमानामितस्तत:,गन्धर्व कहता है--अर्जुन! वसिष्ठजीके यों कहनेपर विश्वामित्रने मानो बलपूर्वक ही हंस और चन्द्रमाके समान श्वेत रंगवाली उस नन्दिनी गायका अपहरण कर लिया। उसे कोड़ों और डंडोंसे मार-मारकर इधर-उधर हाँका जा रहा था

Transliteration

haṃsacandrapratīkāśāṃ nandinīṃ tāṃ jahāra gām | kaśādaṇḍapraṇuditāṃ kālyamānām itastataḥ ||

Translation

El Gandharva dijo: «Oh Pārtha, pese a las palabras de Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra se llevó por la fuerza a aquella vaca Nandinī, de blancura radiante como el cisne y la luna. Azuzada con látigos y palos, era golpeada y arreada de un lado a otro.»

Word by Word

हंसचन्द्रप्रतीकाशाम्having the appearance (whiteness) of a swan and the moon

नन्दिनीम्Nandinī (the cow)

ताम्her/that (cow)

जहारcarried off/abducted

गाम्the cow

कशादण्डप्रणुदिताम्driven on (prodded) with whips and sticks

काल्यमानाम्being driven/forced along

इतस्from here/this side

ततःfrom there/that side; thence

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

ग

गन्धर्व (Gandharva narrator)

अ

अर्जुन (Arjuna)

व

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)

व

विश्वामित्र (Viśvāmitra)

न

नन्दिनी (Nandinī cow)

ग

गौः (cow)

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 highlights an ethical breach: using force and cruelty to seize what is not rightfully one’s own. It contrasts dharmic restraint and respect for a sage’s sacred possession with the misuse of royal power driven by desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva narrates to Arjuna that Viśvāmitra, ignoring Vasiṣṭha’s counsel, abducts Vasiṣṭha’s cow Nandinī. The cow is beaten and driven about with whips and sticks as she is taken away.