Shloka 28

उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

युध्यमानस्य मे वीर गन्धर्व: सुमहाबलै: । सहायो घोषयात्रायां कस्तदा55सीत्‌ सखा मम

Transliteration

yudhyamānasya me vīra gandharvaḥ sumahābalaiḥ | sahāyo ghoṣayātrāyāṃ kas tadā ’sīt sakhā mama ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Oh héroe, cuando yo combatía contra los poderosísimos gandharvas durante la ghoṣa-yātrā, la expedición ganadera de los Kauravas, ¿qué amigo mío acudió entonces en mi auxilio?»

Word by Word

• युध्यमानस्य: of (me) fighting
• युध्यमानस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मे: my / of me
• मे: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गन्धर्वैः: with the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुमहाबलैः: very mighty
• सुमहाबलैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहाबल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सहायः: helper / ally
• सहायः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहाय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• घोषयात्रायाम्: in the cattle-raid expedition
• घोषयात्रायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोषयात्रा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सखा: friend
• सखा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gandharvas
• Ghoṣa-yātrā (Kaurava cattle-expedition)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical value of steadfast friendship: in moments of danger and humiliation, true allies reveal themselves through timely assistance, reinforcing ideals of loyalty and honor within the kṣatriya world.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recalls the episode of the Kauravas’ ghoṣa-yātrā, when a battle broke out with powerful Gandharvas, and asks which friend came to provide help during that fight.