Shloka 5
नकुलस्य प्रतीची-दिग्विजयः
Nakula’s Conquest of the Western Quarter
विजित्याल्पेन कालेन दशार्णानजयत प्रभु: । तत्र दाशार्णको राजा सुधर्मा लोमहर्षणम् । कृतवान् भीमसेनेन महद् युद्ध निरायुधम्,महता बलचक्रेण परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना । हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्णेन दंशितेन प्रतापवान् २ ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
vijityālpēna kālena daśārṇān ajayat prabhuḥ |
tatra dāśārṇako rājā sudharmā lomaharṣaṇam |
kṛtavān bhīmasenena mahad yuddhaṃ nirāyudham |
mahatā balacakreṇa pararāṣṭrāvamardinā |
hasty-aśva-ratha-pūrṇena daṃśitena pratāpavān |
vṛto bharataśārdūlo dviṣacchoka-vivardhanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : En peu de temps, le puissant Bhīmasena conquit le pays de Daśārṇa. Là, le roi daśārṇien Sudharmā engagea contre Bhīmasena un grand combat sans armes : une épreuve de force qui faisait se hérisser les cheveux. Et Bhīma—tigre parmi les Bhārata, accroissant le deuil des ennemis—entouré d’une grande armée bien équipée, riche d’éléphants, de chevaux et de chars, écrasa les royaumes adverses par la vigueur de sa puissance.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior executes the sovereign’s command and confronts opposition with courage, yet the encounter also reflects a valor-code where a ruler may choose an unarmed contest of strength, emphasizing personal prowess and honor beyond reliance on weapons.
Bhīmasena rapidly conquers the Daśārṇa region. The Daśārṇa king Sudharmā then challenges him to a great unarmed battle (a wrestling-like contest), described as thrilling and hair-raising, while Bhīma is portrayed as a formidable commander backed by a large, well-equipped army.