Shloka 49
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
तवैव दोषाद् दुर्बुद्धे सर्वमेतत् त्वनावृतम् । स गच्छ मा चिरं तात उलूक यदि मन्यसे
tavaiva doṣād durbuddhe sarvam etat tvanāvṛtam | sa gaccha mā ciraṃ tāta ulūka yadi manyase, iha vā tiṣṭha bhadraṃ te vayaṃ hi tava bāndhavāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O foolish-minded one, all this has come about solely through your own fault, and it now stands exposed without concealment. So go, dear Ulūka—do not delay—if that is what you think best. Or else stay here; may good befall you, for we too are your kinsmen.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses moral accountability: calamity and public disgrace arise from one’s own wrongdoing and poor judgment. Even amid hostility, the speaker maintains a restrained, kin-based civility—offering the other party freedom to depart or remain—showing that ethical speech can coexist with political conflict.
Sañjaya addresses Ulūka (Duryodhana’s messenger), rebuking him for foolishness and stating that the situation has become openly manifest due to his own side’s fault. He then dismisses him—inviting him to leave promptly if he wishes, or to stay—adding that they still regard him as a kinsman.