Shloka 61
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
युध्यस्वाद्य रणे यत्त: पश्याम: पुरुषो भव | यस्तु शत्रुमभिज्ञाय शुद्धं पौरुषमास्थित:
yudhyasvādya raṇe yattaḥ paśyāmaḥ puruṣo bhava | yastu śatrumabhijñāya śuddhaṃ pauruṣamāsthitaḥ
Sañjaya said: “Fight today in the battle with full resolve; let us see—be a true man. For the one who, having clearly recognized the enemy, stands firm in pure manly valor, follows the straight dharma of the warrior: courage without deceit, facing the foe as he is.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds kṣatriya-ethics: true valor is ‘śuddha pauruṣa’—courage that is direct and untainted by trickery, grounded in clear recognition of the foe and steadfast resolve in battle.
Sañjaya reports an exhortation to enter combat immediately and prove one’s manliness/heroism. The emphasis is on facing the enemy knowingly and standing firm in straightforward martial effort.