Shloka 24

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 13 — Kīcaka’s Proposition and Draupadī’s Dharmic Refusal

Devanagari script

ततस्तौ नरशार्दूलौ बाहुयुद्धं समीयतु:

Transliteration

tatastau naraśārdūlau bāhuyuddhaṃ samīyatuḥ

Translation

Rồi hai người hùng như hổ ấy áp sát để giao đấu bằng cánh tay—đối mặt, giáp lá cà. Lời kể nhấn mạnh đạo võ sĩ: khi lời nói và khoảng cách không còn tác dụng, cuộc tranh hùng được nhận lấy trước mặt nhau, để thử sức mạnh, ý chí và sự tiết chế trong khuôn phép của kṣatriya.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययः)

• तौ: those two (they/two of them)
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचनम्

• नरशार्दूलौ: two tiger-like men, two best of men
• नरशार्दूलौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरशार्दूल
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्

• बाहुयुद्धम्: arm-fight, wrestling
• बाहुयुद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुयुद्ध
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• समीयतुः: they came together, engaged
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + इ (इङ्)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
• तौ नरशार्दूलौ (the two tiger-like men; unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of confronting conflict directly and courageously. By moving into bāhuyuddha (hand-to-hand combat), the narrative emphasizes personal valor and disciplined force—strength governed by warrior duty rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a shift from earlier modes of engagement to close combat: the two heroic opponents come together and begin fighting with their arms, signaling an intensification of the encounter.