Shloka 21

Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

कार्येण महता युक्त दम्भयुक्तेन भारत । तेषां मतिरियं राजन्नासीत्‌ तत्र विनिश्चये,“भारत! दम्भयुक्त महान्‌ कर्मोके अनुष्ठानमें लगे हुए उस बिलावको देखकर उनके मनमें यह विचार उत्पन्न हुआ

Transliteration

kāryeṇa mahatā yukta dambhayuktena bhārata | teṣāṁ matir iyaṁ rājann āsīt tatra viniścaye ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「おお、バーラタよ。大事業に励んでいるかのようでありながら偽善に染まったその猫を見て、決断のその時、王よ、彼らの心にはこの考えが起こった。」

Word by Word

• कार्येण: by/with an act (deed)
• कार्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• युक्तः: endowed/engaged
• युक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दम्भयुक्तेन: with hypocrisy; hypocritical
• दम्भयुक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम्भयुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• मतिः: thought/idea
• मतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इयम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आसीत्: was/arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• विनिश्चये: in the decision/determination
• विनिश्चये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनिश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata, Rājan)
• cat (bilāva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Outwardly impressive actions can conceal inner deceit; ethical judgment requires looking beyond appearances (dambha) to true intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon seeing a cat performing a seemingly grand act but marked by hypocrisy, the observers form a definite opinion about it at that moment.