Shloka 9
Arjuna’s Northern Conquests: Kimpuruṣa-lands, Hāṭaka, Mānasasaras, and the Harivarṣa Boundary
दिशं धनपतेरिष्टामजयत् पाकशासनि:,राजन! इन्द्रकुमार अर्जुनने कुबेरकी प्रिय उत्तर दिशापर विजय पायी। भीमसेनने पूर्व दिशा, सहदेवने दक्षिण दिशा तथा अस्त्रवेत्ता नकुलने पश्चिम दिशाको जीता
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | diśaṃ dhanapater iṣṭām ajayat pākaśāsaniḥ | rājan indrakumāro 'rjunaḥ kuberasya priyām uttarāṃ diśaṃ vijigye | bhīmaseno pūrvāṃ diśam, sahadevo dakṣiṇāṃ diśam, astravettā nakulaś ca paścimāṃ diśaṃ jitavān |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: O King, Arjuna—the son of Indra, famed as the chastiser of Pāka—conquered the northern quarter dear to Kubera, the Lord of Wealth. Bhīmasena subdued the eastern quarter; Sahadeva, the southern; and Nakula, skilled in weapons, overcame the western quarter. Thus the brothers, acting in concert, brought the regions under control as part of their royal enterprise.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights coordinated fulfillment of royal duty: each brother accepts a defined responsibility, and power is exercised as an ordered, collective enterprise rather than personal rivalry—an ethical model of disciplined kingship and shared dharma.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ campaign of conquest (digvijaya) connected with establishing sovereignty, Arjuna subdues the northern quarter associated with Kubera; Bhīma takes the east, Sahadeva the south, and Nakula the west.