Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कथमाभ्यामभि ध्यात: संस्पृष्टो दारुणेन वा । रणे जीवन विमुच्येत पदा भूमिमुपस्पृशन्‌,'भीष्म और द्रोणने जिसे मारनेका निश्चय कर लिया हो अथवा जो युद्धमें इनके भयंकर अस्त्रोंसे छू गया हो, ऐसा कौन भूतलनिवासी जीवित बच सकता है?

Transliteration

katham ābhyām abhidyātaḥ saṁspṛṣṭo dāruṇena vā | raṇe jīvan vimucyeta padā bhūmim upaspṛśan ||

Translation

Ulūka challenges the very possibility of survival in battle: if a warrior has been marked out for death by Bhīṣma and Droṇa, or has even been touched by their dreadful weapons, how could any mortal who still treads the earth escape alive?

Word by Word

कथम्how?

आभ्याम्by these two (Bhishma and Drona)

अभिध्यातःresolved upon / intended (to be slain)

संस्पृष्टःtouched / struck

दारुणेनby a dreadful (weapon/means)

वाor

रणेin battle

जीवन्living / alive

विमुच्येतcould be released / escape

पदाwith (his) foot

भूमिम्the earth/ground

उपस्पृशन्touching (the ground)

Speaker

उलूक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ulūka

Bhīṣma

Droṇa

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?

The verse highlights how martial reputation and fear can be used as moral-political leverage: by portraying Bhīṣma and Droṇa as inescapable forces, Ulūka frames resistance as futile, aiming to coerce submission rather than invite a dharmic resolution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ulūka is delivering a taunting, confidence-building message on behalf of the Kaurava side, asserting that anyone targeted by Bhīṣma and Droṇa—or even grazed by their weapons—cannot survive the battlefield.