Shloka 26

Devanagari script

द्विसाहस््रा: पातिता युद्धशौण्डा नानादेश्या: सुभृता: सत्यसंधा: । एकेन संख्ये नकुलेन कृत्ता जयेप्सुनानुत्तमचन्दनाड़्ा:

Transliteration

dvisāhasrāḥ pātitā yuddhaśauṇḍā nānādeśyāḥ subhṛtāḥ satyasaṃdhāḥ | ekena saṅkhye nakulena kṛttā jayepsunānuttamacandanāḍyāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Dua ribu prajurit tangguh—berasal dari berbagai negeri, terpelihara baik dan bergaji layak, setia pada ikrar—ditumbangkan di kancah pertempuran oleh Nakula seorang diri. Mereka yang mendamba kemenangan dan berhias olesan cendana terbaik pun roboh oleh keperkasaannya.

Word by Word

द्विसाहस्राःtwo-thousand (in number)

पातिताःfelled, struck down

युद्धशौण्डाःbattle-ardent warriors

नानादेश्याःfrom various countries/regions

सुभृताःwell-maintained / well-supported

सत्यसंधाःtrue to their pledge

एकेनby one (man)

संख्येin battle, in combat

नकुलेनby Nakula

कृत्ताःcut down, slain

जयेप्सुन्desiring victory

अनुत्तमचन्दनाङ्गान्men whose bodies were (smeared with) unsurpassed sandal(-paste)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Nakula

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 highlights how disciplined prowess and steadfast resolve in one warrior can rout even a numerically strong, well-equipped force; it also underscores the harsh ethical reality of war, where vows, resources, and confidence do not guarantee survival.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Nakula, fighting alone in the thick of battle, cut down two thousand enemy warriors who were experienced, drawn from many regions, and well-provisioned, even as they sought victory.