Shloka 19

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

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—శత్రురాజ్యాలను నలిపివేయు మహాబలచక్రంతో, ఏనుగులు-గుర్రాలు-రథాలతో నిండిన, కవచాస్త్రాలతో సుసज्जితమైన సేనచే చుట్టుముట్టబడి, భరతవంశపు వ్యాఘ్రమైన శత్రుశోకవివర్ధకుడు మహాప్రతాపి భీమసేనుడు ధర్మరాజు ఆజ్ఞను స్వీకరించి తూర్పుదిశను జయించుటకు బయలుదేరెను।

Word by Word

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

• बलचक्रेण: by/with the army-formation (wheel of forces)
• बलचक्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलचक्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना: by/with (that which is) crushing the enemy-kingdom
• परराष्ट्रावमर्दिना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परराष्ट्रावमर्दिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्णेन: filled with elephants, horses, and chariots
• हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्णेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त्यश्वरथपूर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दंशितेन: armoured, equipped (with mail/armor)
• दंशितेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंशित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

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

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

• द्विषच्छोकविवर्धनः: increasing the sorrow of enemies
• द्विषच्छोकविवर्धनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विषच्छोकविवर्धन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharata lineage (Bharatas)
• Army (balacakra)
• Elephants
• Horses
• Chariots
• Enemy kingdoms (para-rāṣṭra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined force under legitimate authority: military power is portrayed as effective and overwhelming, yet its ethical framing comes from acting under the king’s command (a rajadharma context) rather than personal impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a leading Bharata hero departing with a fully equipped, elephant-horse-chariot-filled army to subdue enemy realms—specifically as part of a campaign to conquer a direction (the eastern quarter in the surrounding narrative).