Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततो हताश्वादवरुह् याना- दादाय चर्मामलरुक्मचन्द्रम्‌ । आकाशसंकाशमसिं प्रगृहम दोधूयमान: खगवच्चचार,तत्पश्चात्‌ अश्वहीन रथसे उतरकर स्वर्णमय निर्मल चन्द्राकार चिह्नोंसे युक्त ढाल और आकाशके समान स्वच्छ तलवार ले उसे घुमाते हुए नकुल एक पक्षीके समान विचरने लगे

Transliteration

tato hatāśvād avaruhya yānād ādāya carmāmalarukmacandram | ākāśasaṅkāśam asiṁ pragṛhya dodhūyamānaḥ khagavac cacāra ||

Translation

Sanjaya thưa: Rồi khi chiến mã đã bị giết, chàng rời khỏi chiến xa. Cầm tấm khiên tinh sạch có dấu trăng vàng, nắm thanh kiếm sáng trong như bầu trời, chàng vừa xoay kiếm vừa di chuyển, lượn đi như một cánh chim.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

हताश्वात्from the horse-less (chariot)

अवरुह्यhaving descended

आनात्from the vehicle/chariot

आदायhaving taken

चर्मshield (leather)

अमलspotless, pure

रुक्मचन्द्रम्golden moon(-emblem)

आकाशसंकाशम्sky-like, resembling the sky

असिम्sword

प्रगृह्यhaving grasped

दोधूयमानःwhirling/shaking repeatedly

खगवत्like a bird

चचारmoved about, roamed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Nakula

chariot (yāna/ratha)

horses

shield (carma) with golden moon emblem

sword (asi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness in kṣatriya-dharma: even after losing the chariot’s support (horses), a warrior should keep composure, adapt, and continue to act with courage and competence rather than collapse into fear or helplessness.

What is happening in the narrative?

After his horses are killed, Nakula dismounts, takes up a clean shield with a golden moon emblem and a sky-bright sword, and moves about brandishing the blade—described poetically as roaming like a bird.