Shloka 40

Devanagari script

चित्रयोधी च नकुलो महेष्वासो महाबल: । कच्चित्‌ सकुशली कृष्ण वत्सो मम सुखैधित:,“श्रीकृष्ण! जो सुकुमार, युवक, शौर्यसम्पन्न तथा दर्शनीय है, जो सभी भाइयोंके बाहर विचरनेवाला प्रिय प्राणस्वरूप है, जिसमें युद्धकी विचित्र कला शोभा पाती है, वह महान्‌ धनुर्धर, महाबली एवं मुझसे पला हुआ मेरा पुत्र पाण्डुनन्द्न नकुल सकुशल तो है न?

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

citrayodhī ca nakulo maheṣvāso mahābalaḥ |

kaccit sakuśalī kṛṣṇa vatso mama sukhaiḍhitaḥ ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಓ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ! ಯುದ್ಧದ ವಿಚಿತ್ರ ಕಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಪುಣನಾದ, ಮಹಾಧನುರ್ಧರನಾದ, ಮಹಾಬಲನಾದ ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಿಯ ವತ್ಸ ನಕುಲನು ಕುಶಲವಾಗಿದ್ದಾನೆಯೇ? ನನ್ನ ಪಾಲನೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಅವನು ಸುಖವಾಗಿ ವೃದ್ಧಿಸಿ ವಿಕಸಿಸಿದ್ದಾನೆಯೇ?

Word by Word

चित्रयोधीhaving wondrous/varied fighting (a skilled fighter)

चand

नकुलःNakula

महेष्वासःgreat archer (one with a great bow)

महाबलःvery strong, mighty

कच्चित्I hope/Is it the case that...?

सकुशलीwell, safe, in good health

कृष्णO Krishna

वत्सःson, dear child

ममof me, my

सुखैधितःnourished/raised with comforts; thriving in happiness

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Nakula

Kṛṣṇa

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?

Even amid impending conflict, the epic foregrounds humane concern: asking after another’s welfare—especially of the young and those bound by duty—reflects dharma as compassion, responsibility, and relational care, not merely strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war exchanges, an elder (speaking through Vaiśampāyana’s narration) anxiously inquires of Kṛṣṇa about Nakula’s safety and flourishing, praising his martial excellence while expressing parental affection and concern.