Shloka 39
Adhyāya 160: Arjuna’s Envoy-Message—Critique of Borrowed Valor and Pre-dawn Mobilization
शारद्वतमहामीनं विविंशतिमहोरगम् । बृहद्धलमहोद्वलं सौमदत्तितिमिज्विलम्
śāradvatamahāmīnaṃ viviṃśatimahoragam | bṛhaddhalamahodvalaṃ saumadattitimijvilam ||
Ulūka sprach: „Unser Heer gleicht einem gewaltigen Ozean. In diesem Meer ist Kṛpācārya, der Sohn Śaradvat’s, wie ein mächtiger Fisch; Viviṃśati wie eine große Schlange, die darin wohnt; Bṛhadbala wie eine starke Flutwoge, die sich darin erhebt; und der Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas) wie das furchtbare Meereswesen namens Timingila.“
उलूक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how martial rhetoric uses vivid metaphors to project strength and instill fear. Ethically, it highlights the psychology of conflict—how pride and intimidation can escalate hostility rather than encourage restraint or reconciliation.
Ulūka, speaking for the Kaurava side, describes key Kaurava warriors through an ‘ocean of army’ metaphor—fish, serpent, tidal surge, and timingila—aiming to glorify his side’s power and unsettle the opponents.