Shloka 39

Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

न मातुलो धर्मकामश्छट्ममात्र॑ कृता शिखा । न मूलफलभक्षस्य विष्ठा भवति लोमशा,“भाइयो! मामाको धर्माचरणकी रत्तीभर भी कामना नहीं है। उसने हम-जैसे लोगोंको धोखा देनेके लिये ही जटा बढ़ा रखी है। जो फल-मूल खानेवाला है, उसकी विष्ठामें बाल नहीं होते

Transliteration

na mātulo dharmakāmaś chaṭmamātraṁ kṛtā śikhā | na mūlaphalabhakṣasya viṣṭhā bhavati lomaśā ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: “Bapa saudara sebelah ibuku tidak mempunyai sedikit pun hasrat kepada dharma. Sanggul rambut di ubun-ubun itu ditumbuhkannya hanya untuk memperdaya orang seperti kita. Orang yang benar-benar hidup dengan akar dan buah-buahan, najisnya tidak berbulu.”

Word by Word

नnot

मातुलःmaternal uncle

धर्मकामःdesirous of dharma / having desire for righteousness

छट्ममात्राeven a tiny measure (as small as a sixth/very small amount)

कृताmade, done

शिखाtuft of hair (topknot)

नnot

मूलफलभक्षस्यof one who eats roots and fruits

विष्ठाfeces, excrement

भवतिis / becomes

लोमशाhairy, having hairs

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

mātula (maternal uncle, unnamed in the verse)

śikhā (topknot)

mūla-phala (roots and fruits)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External marks of religiosity (like a śikhā or ascetic diet) are not proof of dharma; true righteousness is measured by intention and conduct. The verse condemns hypocrisy and warns against being misled by appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports a harsh, skeptical remark about his maternal uncle, accusing him of lacking any genuine commitment to dharma and of adopting ascetic signs merely to deceive others; the crude physiological comparison is used to mock the claim of true ascetic practice.