Shloka 16

Devanagari script

राज्ञ: समीपे पुरुषोत्तमौ तु यमाविमौ विष्णुमहेन्द्र कल्पौ । मनुष्यलोके सकले समो<स्ति ययोर्न रूपे न बले न शीले,महाराज युधिष्ठछिरके समीप बैठे हुए वे इन्द्र और उपेन्द्रके समान दोनों नरश्रेष्ठ माद्रीके जुड़वें पुत्र नकुल-सहदेव हैं। सम्पूर्ण मानव-जगत्‌में इनके रूप, बल और शीलकी समानता करनेवाला दूसरा कोई नहीं है

Transliteration

rājñaḥ samīpe puruṣottamau tu yamāv imau viṣṇu-mahendra-kalpau | manuṣya-loke sakale samo 'sti yayor na rūpe na bale na śīle ||

Translation

乌多罗说道：“在国王近旁坐着那两位至上之人——一对孪生子——可比毗湿奴与摩诃因陀罗（因陀罗）。在人世间，无论容貌之美、力量之盛，还是品行之高贵，都无人能与他们比肩。”

Word by Word

राज्ञःof the king

समीपेnear

पुरुषोत्तमौthe two best of men

तुindeed/but

यमौthe twins

इमौthese two

विष्णुVishnu

महेन्द्रMahendra (great Indra)

कल्पौlike/equal to

मनुष्यलोकेin the world of men

सकलेin the entire (world)

समःequal

अस्तिis/exists

ययोःof whom (of the two)

नnot

रूपेin beauty/form

नnor

बलेin strength

नnor

शीलेin conduct/character

महाराजO great king

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Uttara

the king (Virata)

Nakula

Sahadeva

Viṣṇu

Mahendra (Indra)

human world (manuṣya-loka)

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 upholds a dharmic ideal of human excellence: true nobility is measured not only by appearance (rūpa) and strength (bala) but also by character and conduct (śīla).

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara identifies and praises the twin brothers (Nakula and Sahadeva) seated near King Virata, exalting them as unmatched among humans and likening them to Viṣṇu and Indra in excellence.