Shloka 13
Ulūka’s Provocative Envoy-Speech in the Pāṇḍava Camp
Ulūka-dūta-vākya
स्थिरो भूत्वा महाप्राज्ञ सर्वलोकक्षयोदयम् | यथाभूतं महायुद्धे श्रुव्वा चैकमना भव
sañjaya uvāca | sthiro bhūtvā mahāprājña sarvalokakṣayodayam | yathābhūtaṃ mahāyuddhe śrutvā caikamano bhava, mahāmate ||
ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਹੇ ਮਹਾਪ੍ਰਾਜ্ঞ, ਧੀਰਜ ਧਾਰ। ਇਸ ਮਹਾਂਯੁੱਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਘਟਨਾਵਾਂ ਵਾਪਰੀਆਂ—ਜੋ ਸਭ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਸ ਦੇ ਉਦਯ ਨੂੰ ਦਰਸਾਉਂਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ—ਉਹ ਸੱਚਾ ਵਰਤਾਂਤ ਇਕਾਗ੍ਰ ਮਨ ਨਾਲ ਸੁਣ; ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਡੋਲ ਨਾ ਜਾਈਂ।
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.