Shloka 3
बक-गौतमाख्यानम् / The Baka–Gautama Account
On Gratitude and Friendship Ethics
विशीर्णे कार्मुके राजन् प्रक्षीणेषु च वाजिषु । खड्गेन शक््यते युद्धे साध्वात्मा परिरक्षितुम्,राजन्! जब धनुष टूट जाय और घोड़े भी नष्ट हो जायँ तब भी युद्धस्थलमें खड्गके द्वारा अपने शरीरकी भलीभाँति रक्षा की जा सकती है
viśīrṇe kārmuke rājan prakṣīṇeṣu ca vājiṣu | khaḍgena śakyate yuddhe sādhv-ātmā parirakṣitum, rājan ||
那俱罗说道：“大王啊，即使弓已碎裂、战马已疲竭，守持自律之人仍能在战场上凭借宝剑善自护身。”
नकुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when primary resources fail (a broken bow and exhausted horses), one should not collapse into helplessness; with steadiness of character and presence of mind, one can still defend oneself using what remains (here, the sword).
Nakula addresses a king and offers a battlefield maxim: loss of key equipment does not end one’s capacity to act; a capable, disciplined warrior can continue to protect himself in combat with a sword.