Shloka 38

Pāṇḍava-senā-niryāṇa and Vyūha-vibhāga (पाण्डवसेनानिर्याण तथा व्यूहविभाग)

Devanagari script

उलूकश्नच न ते वाच्य: परुषं पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

ulūkaś ca na te vācyaḥ paruṣaṃ puruṣottama | dūtāḥ kim aparādhyante yathoktasya anubhāṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

“पुरुषोत्तम! या उलूकाला कठोर वचन बोलू नका. दूतांचा काय अपराध? ते तर सांगितलेलेच शब्द जसेच्या तसे सांगणारे असतात.”

Word by Word

• उलूकश्च: Uluka (as subject: ‘Uluka too’)
• उलूकश्च: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• वाच्यः: to be spoken / should be addressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाच्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परुषम्: harsh (words)
• परुषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दूताः: messengers
• दूताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपराध्यन्ते: do they offend / commit a fault?
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपराध्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• यथोक्तस्य: of what has been said / as stated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा-उक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अनुभाषिणः: repeaters / those who merely convey (another’s words)
• अनुभाषिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-भाषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Uluka
• Puruṣottama
• Dūta (messengers/envoys)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical restraint in speech and judgment: an envoy is not morally responsible for the content he delivers; therefore, harshness should be directed neither at the messenger nor at the mere act of transmission.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the tense pre-war setting of the Udyoga Parva, Ulūka appears as a messenger. Sanjaya advises the addressed leader (called Puruṣottama) not to speak harshly to Ulūka, emphasizing that messengers only convey another’s words.