Shloka 21
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。「敵国を砕くべき大いなる軍勢の輪に囲まれ、象・馬・戦車に満ち、武具甲冑を完備した中で、ビーマセーナ——猛き勇士、バーラタ族の虎、敵の嘆きを増し加える者——は王命を受け、東方を征服すべく出陣した。この段は、組織された力によって果たされる王の務めを示す。征服は私的な侵略ではなく、統治者の命に基づく正当な遠征として語られている。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights rajadharma: a warrior’s force is ethically situated when exercised under legitimate royal command and for the polity’s aims, emphasizing disciplined organization (balacakra) rather than personal vendetta.
Vaiśampāyana describes a leading Kuru hero departing with a fully equipped, elephant-horse-chariot army to subdue opposing realms—specifically framed (in the surrounding narrative) as a sanctioned campaign to conquer a direction.