Shloka 21

नकुलस्य प्रतीची-दिग्विजयः

Nakula’s Conquest of the Western Quarter

Devanagari script

महता बलचक्रेण परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना । हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्णेन दंशितेन प्रतापवान्‌ २ ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahatā balacakreṇa pararāṣṭrāvamardinā | hasty-aśva-ratha-pūrṇena daṃśitena pratāpavān || vṛto bharataśārṭūlo dviṣac-choka-vivardhanaḥ |

Translation

ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣ ਦੇ ਰਾਜ ਨੂੰ ਕੁਚਲਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਮਹਾਬਲ-ਚੱਕਰ ਨਾਲ ਘਿਰਿਆ, ਹਾਥੀਆਂ-ਘੋੜਿਆਂ-ਰਥਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਭਰਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਕਵਚ-ਸ਼ਸਤ੍ਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਜਿਆ, ਭਰਤਵੰਸ਼ ਦਾ ਬਾਘ ਅਤੇ ਵੈਰੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਸੋਗ ਵਧਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਮਹਾਪ੍ਰਤਾਪੀ ਭੀਮਸੇਨ ਧਰਮਰਾਜ ਦੀ ਆਗਿਆ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਪੂਰਬ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਜਿੱਤਣ ਲਈ ਰਵਾਨਾ ਹੋਇਆ।

Word by Word

• महता: by a great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• बलचक्रेण: by a military array/force-circle
• बलचक्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलचक्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना: crushing the enemy-kingdom
• परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परराष्ट्रावमर्दिन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• हस्ति: elephant
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• अश्व: horse
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• रथ: chariot
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• पूर्णेन: filled (with)
• पूर्णेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दंशितेन: armoured, equipped
• दंशितेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंशित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, splendid
• प्रतापवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृतः: surrounded, attended
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भरतशार्दूलः: tiger among the Bharatas
• भरतशार्दूलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतशार्दूल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विषत्: enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विषत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Stem (in compound), —

• शोक: grief
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• विवर्द्धनः: increasing
• विवर्द्धनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्द्धन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharata lineage (Bharatas)
• Army (balacakra)
• Enemy kingdom (pararāṣṭra)
• Elephants
• Horses
• Chariots

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.