Shloka 86

Devanagari script

गणानुत्सवसंकेतान्‌ व्यजयत्‌ पुरुषर्षभ: । पुनः उधरसे लौटकर नरश्रेष्ठ नकुलने पुष्करारण्य-निवासी उत्सवसंकेत नामक गणोंको परास्त किया

Transliteration

gaṇān utsavasaṅketān vyajayat puruṣarṣabhaḥ | punaḥ udharase lauṭakara naraśreṣṭha nakulena puṣkarāraṇya-nivāsī utsavasaṅketa-nāmaka gaṇoṃ ko parāsta kiyā |

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—पुरुषश्रेष्ठाने ‘उत्सवसंकेत’ नावाच्या गणांना जिंकले. नंतर उधरसा येथून परत येऊन नरश्रेष्ठ नकुलाने पुष्करारण्यात राहणाऱ्या त्या उत्सवसंकेत गणांनाही पराभूत केले.

Word by Word

• गणान्: groups, troops
• गणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उत्सवसंकेतान्: those named/characterized as 'festival-signals' (Utsava-saṅketa)
• उत्सवसंकेतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सवसंकेत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• व्यजयत्: conquered, defeated
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुरुषर्षभः: the bull among men (best of men)
• पुरुषर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nakula
• Utsavasaṅketa gaṇas
• Puṣkarāraṇya (Puṣkara forest)
• Udharasa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: a ruler or royal agent must subdue disruptive or non-compliant groups to restore lawful order, not for personal malice but to uphold governance and the wider social balance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Nakula defeats certain bands called the Utsavasaṅketa gaṇas; after returning to a place named Udharasa, he again overcomes those groups residing in the Puṣkara forest, indicating a continuing campaign of subjugation.