Shloka 23
इत्येवमुक्त्वा राजानं धर्मपुत्र॑ युधिष्ठिरम् । अभ्यावृत्य पुनर्जिष्णुमुलूक: प्रत्यभाषत,धर्मपुत्र राजा युधिष्ठिसेे ऐसा कहकर उलूक अर्जुनकी ओर मुड़ा और तत्पश्चात् उनसे भी इस प्रकार कहने लगा--
ity evam uktvā rājānaṃ dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram | abhyāvṛtya punar jiṣṇum ulūkaḥ pratyabhāṣata ||
ധർമ്മപുത്രനായ രാജാ യുദ്ധിഷ്ഠിരനോട് ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം ഉലൂകൻ തിരിഞ്ഞു, പിന്നെ ജിഷ്ണുവായ (അർജുനനോടും) ഇപ്രകാരം മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു.
उलूक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how speech and diplomacy operate in ethically charged situations: an envoy’s words can be strategically redirected from the righteous leader (Yudhiṣṭhira) to the chief warrior (Arjuna), testing steadiness in dharma and resolve before war.
Ulūka has finished addressing Yudhiṣṭhira and physically turns toward Arjuna (called Jiṣṇu) to continue his message. It is a transition line indicating the messenger’s shift of audience from the king to the warrior.