Shloka 57

Devanagari script

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच मद्धचश्नापि भूयस्ते वक्तव्य: स सुयोधन: । श्व॒ इदानीं प्रपद्येथा: पुरुषो भव दुर्मते,तत्पश्चात्‌ भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने कहा--उलूक! इसके बाद तू दुर्योधनसे मेरी यह बात भी कह देना--*दुर्मते! अब कल ही तू रणभूमिमें आ जा और अपने पुरुषत्वका परिचय दे

Transliteration

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca | madvacanaṃ api bhūyas te vaktavyaḥ sa suyodhanaḥ | śva idānīṃ prapadyethāḥ puruṣo bhava durmate tatpaścāt |

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: “And you must again convey this message of mine to that Suyodhana (Duryodhana): ‘O misguided one, take responsibility now—tomorrow, come to the battlefield; be a man and show your manliness.’”

Word by Word

श्रीकृष्णःŚrī Kṛṣṇa

उवाचsaid

मत्from me

चand

अस्मात्from this (person = me)

अपिalso/even

भूयःagain, further

तेto you

वक्तव्यःis to be said / must be told

सःhe

सुयोधनःSuyodhana (Duryodhana)

श्वःtomorrow

इदानीम्now

प्रपद्येथाःmay you resort/submit/come (to)

पुरुषःa man

भवbecome / be

दुर्मतेO evil-minded one

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Ulūka

Suyodhana (Duryodhana)

raṇabhūmi (battlefield)

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 underscores moral accountability: pride and aggression must not hide behind evasion. Kṛṣṇa challenges Duryodhana to either truly submit to a just resolution or openly face the consequences of his chosen path, highlighting the ethical demand for responsibility in leadership.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa instructs Ulūka, the messenger, to deliver an additional pointed message to Duryodhana (called Suyodhana). The message urges him to come to the battlefield the very next day and prove his claimed valor—an admonition that frames the impending conflict as a test of resolve and integrity.