Shloka 22
उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
न हि मे विक्रमे तुल्य: पुमानस्तीह कश्नन | हनिष्यामि रणे भागं यन्मे दास्यसि पाण्डव
na hi me vikrame tulyaḥ pumān astīha kaścana | haniṣyāmi raṇe bhāgaṃ yan me dāsyasi pāṇḍava ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : « En ce monde, nul homme n’égale ma prouesse. Ô fils de Pāṇḍu, quelle que soit la part de l’ennemi que tu me confieras, je la détruirai sur le champ de bataille. »
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s pledge of accountability: confidence in one’s strength is expressed as readiness to accept an assigned duty in war and to carry it through decisively. Ethically, it frames prowess as service to a cause rather than mere self-display.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, a speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) declares unmatched valor and assures a Pāṇḍava that any portion of the enemy forces entrusted to him will be annihilated in battle—signaling alliance, commitment, and strategic division of combat responsibilities.