Shloka 50
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
उलूकस्तु तो राजन् धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्,आमन्त्र्य प्रययौ तत्र यत्र राजा सुयोधन: । जनमेजय! तदनन्तर उलूक धर्मपुत्र राजा युधिष्ठिरसे विदा ले जहाँ राजा दुर्योधन था, वहीं चला गया
ulūkas tu taṁ rājan dharmaputraṁ yudhiṣṭhiram āmantrya prayayau tatra yatra rājā suyodhanaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, Ulūka, setelah memohon diri daripada Dharmaputra Yudhiṣṭhira, berangkat dari situ dan pergi ke tempat Raja Suyodhana (Duryodhana) berada.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the formal ethics of communication in royal diplomacy: even amid hostility, a messenger observes protocol—addressing the recipient respectfully and taking leave before returning. It also juxtaposes Dharmaputra (righteous kingship) with Suyodhana (the opposing claimant), hinting at the moral tension driving the coming war.
Ulūka, after meeting and speaking with Yudhiṣṭhira, concludes his mission and departs to rejoin Duryodhana. Sañjaya reports this movement as part of the escalating exchanges preceding the Kurukṣetra conflict.