Shloka 433
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
प्रतिकृत्य यथाकामं शत्रूणां शत्रुसूदन: । वह शत्रुओंका संहार करनेवाला उलूक उन कौओंका वध करके अपने शत्रुओंसे इच्छानुसार भरपूर बदला लेकर बहुत प्रसन्न हुआ
pratikṛtya yathākāmaṁ śatrūṇāṁ śatrusūdanaḥ | ulūkaḥ kākanāṁ vadhaṁ kṛtvā śatrubhyo yathā-iccham atṛpyat prahṛṣṭaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having retaliated to his heart’s content against his enemies, Ulūka—slayer of foes—killed those crows and, taking full vengeance upon his adversaries as he wished, became greatly pleased.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychology and moral tension of retaliation: in the atmosphere of war, ‘justice’ is often pursued as revenge, and the agent of violence feels satisfaction after inflicting counter-harm—an implicit warning about how conflict normalizes cruelty and pleasure in retribution.
Sañjaya reports that Ulūka, after killing the crows, feels he has repaid his enemies to his satisfaction and becomes pleased—presenting a brief snapshot of vengeance fulfilled within the broader night-raid context of the Sauptika Parva.