Shloka 108
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
जानामि ते वासुदेव॑ सहायं जानामि ते गाण्डिवं तालमात्रम् | जानाम्यहं त्वादृशो नास्ति योद्धा जानानस्ते राज्यमेतद्धरामि
sañjaya uvāca |
janāmi te vāsudevaṁ sahāyaṁ janāmi te gāṇḍīvaṁ tālamātram |
janāmy ahaṁ tvādṛśo nāsti yoddhā jānānas te rājyam etad dharāmi ||
Aku tahu bahwa Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) berdiri sebagai sekutumu; aku tahu pula bahwa busur Gāṇḍīva milikmu sepanjang satu tāla; dan aku tahu tiada ksatria yang setara denganmu. Namun, meski mengetahui semuanya, tetap kurampas kerajaan ini darimu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights deliberate wrongdoing: even with full awareness of the opponent’s strength and righteousness-support (Kṛṣṇa as ally), the speaker admits to usurping the kingdom. It underscores how greed and power can override knowledge, conscience, and dharma—making the act ethically culpable precisely because it is done knowingly.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war context, Sañjaya reports a blunt confession: despite recognizing Arjuna’s unmatched prowess, his divine ally Kṛṣṇa, and the famed Gāṇḍīva bow, the speaker still proceeds to take the kingdom. The statement intensifies the moral tension leading into the Kurukṣetra war by framing the conflict as a conscious act of usurpation.