Shloka 27
उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
द्रोणं व्यपदिशज्शिष्यो वासुदेवसहायवान् । भीतो<स्मीति कथं ब्रूयां दधानो गाण्डिवं धनु:,“वीर! मैं कौरवोंके कुलमें उत्पन्न हुआ हूँ। विशेषतः महाराज पाण्डुका पुत्र हूँ। आचार्य द्रोणको अपना गुरु कहता हूँ और स्वयं उनका शिष्य कहलाता हूँ। इसके सिवा साक्षात् भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण हमारे सहायक हैं और मैं अपने हाथमें गाण्डीव धनुष धारण करता हूँ। ऐसी स्थितिमें मैं अपने-आपको डरा हुआ कैसे कह सकता हूँ?
droṇaṁ vyapadiśañ śiṣyo vāsudeva-sahāyavān | bhīto 'smīti kathaṁ brūyāṁ dadhāno gāṇḍīvaṁ dhanuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “How could I ever say, ‘I am afraid,’ when I claim Droṇa as my teacher and myself as his disciple, when Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) stands as my ally, and when I bear the Gāṇḍīva bow in my hands?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that fear is inconsistent with publicly affirmed sources of strength and obligation—one’s guru-trained identity, one’s alliance with Kṛṣṇa, and one’s readiness for battle. Ethically, it highlights the kṣatriya ideal: courage grounded in duty, discipline, and rightful support rather than in mere bravado.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, a warrior voice (reported by Vaiśampāyana) rejects the possibility of admitting fear, citing Droṇa as teacher, Kṛṣṇa as ally, and the Gāṇḍīva as the emblem of martial capability—an assertion of resolve as the conflict approaches.