Shloka 22

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

हंसचन्द्रप्रतीकाशां नन्दिनीं तां जहार गाम्‌ । कशादण्डप्रणुदितां काल्यमानामितस्तत:,गन्धर्व कहता है--अर्जुन! वसिष्ठजीके यों कहनेपर विश्वामित्रने मानो बलपूर्वक ही हंस और चन्द्रमाके समान श्वेत रंगवाली उस नन्दिनी गायका अपहरण कर लिया। उसे कोड़ों और डंडोंसे मार-मारकर इधर-उधर हाँका जा रहा था

Transliteration

haṃsacandrapratīkāśāṃ nandinīṃ tāṃ jahāra gām | kaśādaṇḍapraṇuditāṃ kālyamānām itastataḥ ||

Translation

Gandharva nói: “Hỡi Pārtha, bất chấp lời của Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra đã dùng vũ lực cướp lấy con bò Nandinī ấy—trắng rạng như thiên nga và vầng trăng. Bị thúc bằng roi và gậy, nàng bị đánh đập và lùa đi hết hướng này đến hướng khác.”

Word by Word

हंसचन्द्रप्रतीकाशाम्having the appearance (whiteness) of a swan and the moon

नन्दिनीम्Nandinī (the cow)

ताम्her/that (cow)

जहारcarried off/abducted

गाम्the cow

कशादण्डप्रणुदिताम्driven on (prodded) with whips and sticks

काल्यमानाम्being driven/forced along

इतस्from here/this side

ततःfrom there/that side; thence

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

ग

गन्धर्व (Gandharva narrator)

अ

अर्जुन (Arjuna)

व

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)

व

विश्वामित्र (Viśvāmitra)

न

नन्दिनी (Nandinī cow)

ग

गौः (cow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical breach: using force and cruelty to seize what is not rightfully one’s own. It contrasts dharmic restraint and respect for a sage’s sacred possession with the misuse of royal power driven by desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva narrates to Arjuna that Viśvāmitra, ignoring Vasiṣṭha’s counsel, abducts Vasiṣṭha’s cow Nandinī. The cow is beaten and driven about with whips and sticks as she is taken away.