Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ततः सा चारुसर्वाज्री समुपेत्योरगात्मजा । उलूपी प्राह वचन धर्म्य धर्मविशारदम्‌,प्रभो! उसने देखा कि पुत्र बभ्रुवाहन नीचे मुँह किये किसी सोच-विचारमें पड़ा हुआ है और युद्धार्थी पिता उसे बारंबार डाँट-फटकार रहे हैं। तब मनोहर अंगोंवाली नागकन्या उलूपी धर्म-निपुण बभ्रुवाहनके पास आकर यह धर्मसम्मत बात बोली--

Transliteration

tataḥ sā cāru-sarvāṅgī samupetyoragātmajā | ulūpī prāha vacanaṁ dharmyaṁ dharma-viśāradam ||

Translation

Then Ulūpī, the serpent-born maiden of lovely limbs, approached and spoke a righteous, dharma-consistent statement to the one well-versed in dharma. Seeing Babhruvāhana downcast and lost in thought while his battle-eager father rebuked him again and again, she intervened with counsel grounded in ethical duty.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

साshe

चारु-सर्वाङ्गीshe whose all limbs are beautiful

समुपेत्यhaving approached

उरग-आत्मजाdaughter of a serpent (Nāga)

उलूपीUlūpī

प्राहsaid, spoke

वचनम्speech, words

धर्म्यम्righteous, in accordance with dharma

धर्म-विशारदम्one skilled in dharma

प्रभोO lord!

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Ulūpī

Babhruvāhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is not merely force or anger in conflict; it requires discernment and timely counsel. Ulūpī’s approach highlights that ethical action in a charged situation may involve intervening with principled speech to guide one who knows dharma but is momentarily conflicted.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Ulūpī, the Nāga princess, notices Babhruvāhana sitting with a lowered face, lost in thought, while his father (Arjuna, in the broader episode) urges battle and scolds him. She then comes forward and begins to address Babhruvāhana with a dharma-based statement.