Shloka 63
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
मद्विधो नापि नृपतिस्त्वयि युक्त: कथड्चन
madvidho nāpi nṛpatistvayi yuktaḥ kathaṃcana
Sañjaya said: “A king like me is in no way fit to be joined with you (as your ally or companion).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical self-assessment: one should not seek association, alliance, or honor beyond one’s rightful merit or dharmic fitness. It reflects humility and a concern for propriety in political relationships.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and counsel, Sañjaya speaks to an unnamed ‘you,’ distancing himself from being considered a suitable royal counterpart or ally, signaling either deference to the addressee’s stature or a principled refusal to align improperly.