Shloka 121

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

Devanagari script

शारद्वतमहामीनं विविंशतिमहोरगम्‌ । बृहद्धलमहोद्वेलं सौमदत्तितिमिड्लिलम्‌,“हमारे सैन्यरूपी महासमुद्रमें कृपाचार्य महा-मत्स्यके समान हैं, विविंशति उसके भीतर रहनेवाला महान्‌ सर्प है, बृहदबल उसके भीतर उठनेवाले विशाल ज्वारके समान है, भूरिश्रवा तिमिंगिल नामक मत्स्यके स्थानमें है

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śāradvata-mahā-mīnaṃ viviṃśati-mahā-uragam | bṛhadbala-mahodvelaṃ saumadatti-timiṅgilam ||

Translation

សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយថា៖ «ក្នុងកងទ័ពរបស់យើង ដែលដូចជាមហាសមុទ្រធំ ក្រឹបាចារ្យ (សារទ្វត) ដូចជាត្រីដ៏មហិមា; វិវិំសតិ ដូចជាពស់ធំរស់នៅក្នុងនោះ; បೃಹទ្ពល ដូចជាជំនោរធំកំពុងកើនឡើង; ហើយ ភូរីស្រវា កូនសោមទត្ត ដូចជាសត្វសមុទ្រគួរឱ្យភ័យខ្លាចដែលហៅថា ទិមិង្គិល»។

Word by Word

शारद्वत-महा-मीना॑म्the great fish (named) Śāradvata (i.e., Kṛpācārya)

विविंशति-महा-उरगम्the great serpent (named) Viviṁśati

बृहद्बल-महा-उद्वेलम्the very great surge/tide (likened to) Bṛhadbala

सौमदत्ति-तिमिङ्गिलम्the timiṅgila (huge sea-fish/whale) (named) Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Kṛpācārya (Śāradvata)

Viviṃśati

Bṛhadbala

Bhūriśravā (Saumadatti)

timiṅgila

serpent (uraga)

great fish (mahā-mīna)

tidal surge/wave (udvela)

ocean (implied by the metaphor of the army as a sea)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches, through vivid metaphor, that war unleashes forces like those of the sea—immense, unpredictable, and destructive. It highlights how individual champions can function as overwhelming ‘natural powers,’ implying the ethical gravity of choosing conflict and the peril it brings to all involved.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya is describing the Kaurava side’s leading warriors to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, portraying the Kaurava army as a vast ocean and naming key fighters as terrifying sea-creatures and surges within it, emphasizing their strength and the danger they pose in the impending battle.