Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ददृशे नकुलस्तत्र रथात्‌ प्रस्कन्द्य खड्गधृक्‌ । शिरांसि पादरक्षाणां बीजवत्‌ प्रवपन्‌ मुहुः,महावीर नकुल हाथमें तलवार लिये रथसे कूद पड़े और पादरक्षक सैनिकोंके मस्तक काट-काटकर बीजकी भाँति उन्हें बार-बार धरतीपर बोते दिखायी दिये

Transliteration

dadṛśe nakulas tatra rathāt praskandya khaḍgadhṛk | śirāṃsi pādarakṣāṇāṃ bījavat pravapan muhuḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: There, Nakula was seen leaping down from his chariot, sword in hand. Again and again he struck off the heads of the foot-guards, scattering them upon the ground like seeds—an image of relentless battlefield prowess that underscores how martial skill, when unleashed in war, turns living bodies into mere tokens of victory.

Word by Word

ददृशेwas seen / appeared

नकुलःNakula

तत्रthere

रथात्from the chariot

प्रस्कन्द्यhaving leapt down

खड्गधृक्sword-bearer (holding a sword)

शिरांसिheads

पादरक्षाणाम्of the foot-guards (infantry/guards)

बीजवत्like seed(s)

प्रवपन्sowing / scattering

मुहुःagain and again

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Nakula

ratha (chariot)

khaḍga (sword)

pādarakṣāḥ (foot-guards/infantry)

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 does not preach directly; it presents a stark war-image: in kṣatriya conflict, valor and skill can become relentless destruction. The ethical tension implicit in the simile—heads scattered 'like seeds'—highlights how war reduces persons to objects, even while celebrating martial prowess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula jumps down from his chariot with a sword and repeatedly beheads the enemy foot-guards, scattering their severed heads on the ground, described with the vivid simile of sowing seeds.