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

ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນກອງທັບຂອງພວກເຮົາ ອັນດຸດດັ່ງມະຫາສະມຸດ, ກຣິປາຈາຣຍະ (ຊາຣັດວະຕະ) ເປັນດັ່ງປາໃຫຍ່; ວິວິງຊະຕິ ເປັນດັ່ງງູຍັກທີ່ອາໄສຢູ່ພາຍໃນ; ບຣິຫັດບະລະ ເປັນດັ່ງຄື້ນນ້ຳຂຶ້ນອັນສູງໃຫຍ່; ແລະ ພູຣີສຣະວາ ບຸດຂອງ ໂສມະດັດຕະ ເປັນດັ່ງສັດທະເລອັນນ່າຢ້ານ ທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ຕິມິງກິລະ»។

Word by Word

• शारद्वत-महा-मीना॑म्: the great fish (named) Śāradvata (i.e., Kṛpācārya)
• शारद्वत-महा-मीना॑म्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शारद्वत + महा + मीन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विविंशति-महा-उरगम्: the great serpent (named) Viviṁśati
• विविंशति-महा-उरगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विविंशति + महा + उरग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• बृहद्बल-महा-उद्वेलम्: the very great surge/tide (likened to) Bṛhadbala
• बृहद्बल-महा-उद्वेलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहद्बल + महा + उद्वेल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सौमदत्ति-तिमिङ्गिलम्: the timiṅgila (huge sea-fish/whale) (named) Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas)
• सौमदत्ति-तिमिङ्गिलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौमदत्ति + तिमिङ्गिल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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)

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.