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 |
वैशंपायन म्हणाले—शत्रुराज्ये चिरडणाऱ्या महाबलचक्राने वेढलेला, हत्ती-घोडे-रथांनी परिपूर्ण व कवचास्त्रांनी सुसज्ज, भरतवंशातील व्याघ्र व शत्रूंचा शोक वाढविणारा महाप्रतापी भिमसेन धर्मराजाची आज्ञा घेऊन पूर्व दिशेच्या विजयासाठी निघाला।
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.