Shloka 2
Ulūka’s Provocative Envoy-Speech in the Pāṇḍava Camp
Ulūka-dūta-vākya
वैशम्पायन उवाच तथा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु यत्तेषु भरतर्षभ । धृतराष्ट्री महाराज संजयं वाक्यमत्रवीत्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tathā vyūḍheṣv anīkeṣu yat teṣu bharatarṣabha | dhṛtarāṣṭrī mahārāja sañjayaṁ vākyam abravīt ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Ô taureau parmi les Bhārata ! Lorsque ces armées, rangées en formation de bataille (vyūha), se tinrent prêtes, la reine Dhṛtarāṣṭrī adressa des paroles à Sañjaya—au moment même où la machine de la guerre s’ébranlait et où le poids moral de la violence imminente pesait sur la maison royale.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical gravity that arises once armies are formally arrayed: decisions made within the royal family now carry immediate consequences for countless lives, highlighting responsibility in kingship and the peril of allowing conflict to become irreversible.
As the forces stand arranged in battle formation, the narration shifts to Dhṛtarāṣṭrī speaking to Sañjaya, marking a transition from preparation to imminent action and setting up the next exchange.