Shloka 4

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

नकुल: सहदेवो वा सात्यकिर्वा महारथ: । एतदाचक्ष्व मे सत्यं कुशलो हासि संजय

Transliteration

nakulaḥ sahadevo vā sātyakir vā mahārathaḥ | etad ācakṣva me satyaṃ kuśalo hāsi sañjaya ||

Translation

Дхритараштра сказал: «Скажи мне правду, Санджая, — ты искусен в рассказе, — что сделали Накула или Сахадева, или Сатьяки, великий колесничий?»

Word by Word

• नकुलः: Nakula
• नकुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• सात्यकिः: Satyaki
• सात्यकिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• महारथः: great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आचक्ष्व: tell, relate
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truthfully; the truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुशलः: skilled, competent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संजय: O Sanjaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds satya (truthfulness) and responsible narration: Dhṛtarāṣṭra demands an accurate report, implying that in the chaos of war, ethical clarity begins with truthful speech and reliable witnessing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, unable to see the battle, questions Sañjaya about the actions of key Pāṇḍava allies—Nakula, Sahadeva, and the great warrior Sātyaki—urging him to recount events truthfully because he is competent in describing them.