Shloka 4
Adhyāya 160: Arjuna’s Envoy-Message—Critique of Borrowed Valor and Pre-dawn Mobilization
ततो द्युतिमतां मध्ये पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम् | सृञ्जयानां च मत्स्यानां कृष्णस्य च यशस्विन:,(संजय कहते हैं--) तब वहाँ बैठे हुए तेजस्वी महात्मा पाण्डवों, सूंजयों, मत्स्यों, यशस्वी श्रीकृष्ण तथा पुत्रोंसहित ट्रपद और विराटके समीप समस्त राजाओंके बीचमें उलूकने यह बात कही
tato dyutimatāṁ madhye pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām | sṛñjayānāṁ ca matsyānāṁ kṛṣṇasya ca yaśasvinaḥ ||
Daraufhin, in jener königlichen Versammlung—unter den strahlenden, hochgesinnten Pāṇḍavas, den Sṛñjayas, den Matsyas und dem ruhmreichen Kṛṣṇa—(wie Sañjaya berichtet) sprach Ulūka diese Worte vor allen Königen, nahe bei Drupada und Virāṭa samt ihren Söhnen.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, at critical junctures, public speech in a royal assembly carries ethical weight: words can uphold dharma through truthful counsel and peace-making, or they can inflame hostility and hasten adharma. The setting underscores responsibility in diplomacy—especially when many rulers and allies are present.
Sañjaya describes the scene where Ulūka (Duryodhana’s envoy) addresses the gathered leaders allied with the Pāṇḍavas—alongside Kṛṣṇa, Drupada, and Virāṭa. This introduces the envoy’s speech, a pivotal diplomatic exchange occurring just before the outbreak of the Kurukṣetra war.