Shloka 73

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

तस्यामप्येकचक्रायां बक॑ नाम राक्षसं हत्वा पाउचालनगरमधिगता:,एकचक्रामें भी बक नामवाले राक्षसका संहार करके वे पांचाल नगरमें चले गये

Transliteration

tasyām apy ekacakrāyāṃ baka-nāma rākṣasaṃ hatvā pāñcālanagaram adhigatāḥ |

Translation

毗舍波耶那说：即便在独轮城，他们也诛杀了名为婆迦（Baka）的罗刹；随后他们（般度五子）继续前行，抵达般遮罗国之城——既为百姓除去一大祸患，便又隐秘地踏上征途。

Word by Word

तस्याम्in that (city/place)

अपिalso/even

एकचक्रायाम्in Ekacakrā (the town named Ekacakrā)

बकम्Baka (name)

नामby name/called

राक्षसम्demon

हत्वाhaving slain

पाञ्चालनगरम्the city of the Pāñcālas

अधिगताःarrived/reached

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Ekacakrā

Baka (rākṣasa)

Pāñcāla-nagara (city of the Pāñcālas)

Pāṇḍavas (implied by context: 'they')

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 episode highlights kṣatriya-dharma as protection of society: removing a violent threat (Baka) is portrayed as a righteous act that restores safety for ordinary people, after which the heroes continue their larger duty-bound journey.

What is happening in the narrative?

After staying in Ekacakrā, the Pāṇḍavas kill the rākṣasa Baka who terrorized the town. Then they depart and arrive at the Pāñcāla capital, setting the stage for the next major developments involving the Pāñcālas.