Shloka 9
Ulūpī–Citravāhinī Saṃvāda: Dhanaṃjaya-patana and Prāya-threat
सा ददर्श ततः पुत्र विमृशन््तमधोमुखम् । संतर्ज्यमानमसकृत् पित्रा युद्धार्थिना प्रभो
sā dadarśa tataḥ putraṃ vimṛśantam adhomukham | santarjyamānam asakṛt pitrā yuddhārthinā prabho ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian dia melihat puteranya, wajah tertunduk, tenggelam dalam fikiran yang resah, sementara ayahnya—yang dahagakan pertempuran—berulang kali memarahinya. Pada saat itu, gadis Nāga Ulūpī, yang elok anggota dan mahir dalam dharma, mendekati Babhrūvāhana lalu mengucapkan kata-kata yang selaras dengan kebenaran.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic crisis: when duty to a parent and the call to battle press upon someone who hesitates, righteous counsel (here associated with Ulūpī) becomes necessary to align action with dharma rather than mere impulse or anger.
Babhrūvāhana is seen with his head lowered, thinking deeply, while his father Arjuna—seeking a fight—keeps scolding him. This sets the stage for Ulūpī to approach and speak a dharma-based argument to move the situation forward.