Shloka 19
नकुलस्य प्रतीची-दिग्विजयः
Nakula’s Conquest of the Western Quarter
महता बलचक्रेण परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना । हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्णेन दंशितेन प्रतापवान् २ ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
mahatā balacakreṇa pararāṣṭrāvamardinā |
hasty-aśva-ratha-pūrṇena daṃśitena pratāpavān ||
vṛto bharataśārṭūlo dviṣac-choka-vivardhanaḥ ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「ビーマセーナ——威力ある勇士、バーラタ族の虎、敵の悲嘆を増し加える者——は（王の命に従い）東方を平定すべく出陣した。彼を取り巻くのは、敵国を砕く大いなる軍勢の輪であり、象・馬・戦車に満ち、武具甲冑を完備していた。この段は、征服を私欲ではなく、王命のもとに行われる行為として描き、権威に導かれた規律ある力を強調する。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined force under legitimate authority: military power is portrayed as effective and overwhelming, yet its ethical framing comes from acting under the king’s command (a rajadharma context) rather than personal impulse.
Vaiśampāyana describes a leading Bharata hero departing with a fully equipped, elephant-horse-chariot-filled army to subdue enemy realms—specifically as part of a campaign to conquer a direction (the eastern quarter in the surrounding narrative).