Shloka 39

Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

न मातुलो धर्मकामश्छट्ममात्र॑ कृता शिखा । न मूलफलभक्षस्य विष्ठा भवति लोमशा,“भाइयो! मामाको धर्माचरणकी रत्तीभर भी कामना नहीं है। उसने हम-जैसे लोगोंको धोखा देनेके लिये ही जटा बढ़ा रखी है। जो फल-मूल खानेवाला है, उसकी विष्ठामें बाल नहीं होते

Transliteration

na mātulo dharmakāmaś chaṭmamātraṁ kṛtā śikhā | na mūlaphalabhakṣasya viṣṭhā bhavati lomaśā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “My maternal uncle has not the slightest desire for dharma. He has grown this topknot only to deceive people like us. For one who truly lives on roots and fruits, the excrement is not hairy.”

Word by Word

नnot

मातुलःmaternal uncle

धर्मकामःdesirous of dharma / having desire for righteousness

छट्ममात्राeven a tiny measure (as small as a sixth/very small amount)

कृताmade, done

शिखाtuft of hair (topknot)

नnot

मूलफलभक्षस्यof one who eats roots and fruits

विष्ठाfeces, excrement

भवतिis / becomes

लोमशाhairy, having hairs

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

mātula (maternal uncle, unnamed in the verse)

śikhā (topknot)

mūla-phala (roots and fruits)

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?

External marks of religiosity (like a śikhā or ascetic diet) are not proof of dharma; true righteousness is measured by intention and conduct. The verse condemns hypocrisy and warns against being misled by appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a harsh, skeptical remark about his maternal uncle, accusing him of lacking any genuine commitment to dharma and of adopting ascetic signs merely to deceive others; the crude physiological comparison is used to mock the claim of true ascetic practice.