Shloka 13
Ulūka’s Provocative Envoy-Speech in the Pāṇḍava Camp
Ulūka-dūta-vākya
स्थिरो भूत्वा महाप्राज्ञ सर्वलोकक्षयोदयम् | यथाभूतं महायुद्धे श्रुव्वा चैकमना भव,महामते! इस महायुद्धमें सम्पूर्ण लोकोंके विनाशको सूचित करनेवाला जो-जो वृत्तान्त जैसे-जैसे घटित हुआ है, वह सब स्थिर होकर सुनिये और सुनकर एकचित्त बने रहिये (व्याकुल न होइये)
sañjaya uvāca | sthiro bhūtvā mahāprājña sarvalokakṣayodayam | yathābhūtaṃ mahāyuddhe śrutvā caikamano bhava, mahāmate ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai yang amat bijaksana, teguhkanlah dirimu. Dengarlah dengan satu hati yang tidak terpecah-pecah akan kisah yang benar tentang apa yang telah berlaku dalam perang besar ini—peristiwa yang menandakan bangkitnya kebinasaan bagi segala alam. Janganlah gementar ketika mendengarnya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges disciplined listening and inner steadiness: when confronted with catastrophic or morally weighty news, one should remain composed and attend to the truth as it is, without agitation. Ethical clarity begins with a mind that can hear facts without being overwhelmed.
Sañjaya prepares a wise listener to receive a factual report of the great war’s events—so grave that they are described as heralding destruction on a universal scale. He frames the coming narration as truthful (yathābhūtam) and asks for one-pointed attention.