Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तान्‌ धारराष्ट्रान्‌ दुर्वत्तान्‌ मुमूर्षन्‌ कालनोदितान्‌ । गमयिष्यामि भूयिष्ठानहं वैवस्वतक्षयम्‌

Transliteration

tān dhārtarāṣṭrān durvṛttān mumūrṣūn kālanoditān | gamayiṣyāmi bhūyiṣṭhān ahaṃ vaivasvatakṣayam ||

Translation

Nakula déclara que ces fils de Dhṛtarāṣṭra—hommes à la conduite corrompue, déjà poussés en avant par le Temps (Kāla) et tournés vers la mort—il les enverrait, en grand nombre, au séjour de Yama (Vaivasvata).

Word by Word

तान्those

धार्तराष्ट्रान्the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Kauravas)

दुर्वृत्तान्evil-conducted, wicked

मुमूर्षन्desiring to die / doomed to die

कालनोदितान्impelled by Time (Death)

गमयिष्यामिI shall cause (them) to go / I shall send

भूयिष्ठान्most (of them), the majority

अहम्I

वैindeed, surely

वैवस्वतक्षयम्the abode/realm of Vaivasvata (Yama), i.e., death

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas; sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Kāla (Time/Death as cosmic force)

Vaivasvata (Yama)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links moral failure (durvṛtta—corrupt conduct) with inevitable consequence under Kāla (Time). It presents downfall as both ethical retribution and destiny’s pressure, while emphasizing personal resolve to uphold one’s duty in a righteous struggle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula makes a forceful declaration against the Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas), stating that he will send many of them to Vaivasvata’s abode—i.e., to death—portraying them as already driven toward destruction by Time.