Shloka 39
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
न मातुलो धर्मकामश्छट्ममात्र॑ कृता शिखा । न मूलफलभक्षस्य विष्ठा भवति लोमशा
na mātulo dharmakāmaś chaṭmamātraṁ kṛtā śikhā | na mūlaphalabhakṣasya viṣṭhā bhavati lomaśā ||
Sanjaya berkata: “Pamanku dari pihak ibu tidak memiliki hasrat sedikit pun terhadap dharma. Ia memelihara jambul itu semata-mata untuk menipu makhluk seperti kita. Sebab orang yang sungguh hidup dari akar dan buah, kotorannya tidak berbulu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
External marks of religiosity (like a śikhā or ascetic diet) are not proof of dharma; true righteousness is measured by intention and conduct. The verse condemns hypocrisy and warns against being misled by appearances.
Sanjaya reports a harsh, skeptical remark about his maternal uncle, accusing him of lacking any genuine commitment to dharma and of adopting ascetic signs merely to deceive others; the crude physiological comparison is used to mock the claim of true ascetic practice.