Shloka 9
Ulūpī–Citravāhinī Saṃvāda: Dhanaṃjaya-patana and Prāya-threat
सा ददर्श ततः पुत्र विमृशन््तमधोमुखम् । संतर्ज्यमानमसकृत् पित्रा युद्धार्थिना प्रभो,प्रभो! उसने देखा कि पुत्र बभ्रुवाहन नीचे मुँह किये किसी सोच-विचारमें पड़ा हुआ है और युद्धार्थी पिता उसे बारंबार डाँट-फटकार रहे हैं। तब मनोहर अंगोंवाली नागकन्या उलूपी धर्म-निपुण बभ्रुवाहनके पास आकर यह धर्मसम्मत बात बोली--
sā dadarśa tataḥ putraṃ vimṛśantam adhomukham | santarjyamānam asakṛt pitrā yuddhārthinā prabho ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then she saw the son, his face cast downward, absorbed in anxious reflection, while his father—eager for battle—repeatedly rebuked him. In this moment, the Nāga maiden Ulūpī, fair-limbed and well-versed in dharma, approached Babhrūvāhana and spoke words consistent with righteousness—seeking to guide him amid the tension between filial duty, moral restraint, and the demands of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic crisis: when duty to a parent and the call to battle press upon someone who hesitates, righteous counsel (here associated with Ulūpī) becomes necessary to align action with dharma rather than mere impulse or anger.
Babhrūvāhana is seen with his head lowered, thinking deeply, while his father Arjuna—seeking a fight—keeps scolding him. This sets the stage for Ulūpī to approach and speak a dharma-based argument to move the situation forward.