Shloka 24
उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
निहत्य समरे शत्रूंस्तव दास्यामि मेदिनीम् । “मेरे हिस्सेमें द्रोणाचार्य, कृपाचार्य तथा वीरवर भीष्म एवं कर्ण ही क्यों न हों, किसीको जीवित नहीं छोड़ूँगा अथवा यहाँ पधारे हुए ये सब राजा चुपचाप खड़े रहें। मैं अकेला ही समरभूमिमें तुम्हारे सारे शत्रुओंका वध करके तुम्हें पृथ्वीका राज्य अर्पित कर दूँगा” ।। २३ -॥] इत्युक्तो धमराजस्य केशवस्य च संनिधौ,उवाच धीमान् कौन्तेय: प्रहस्य सखिपूर्वकम् | धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर तथा भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके समीप अन्य सब राजाओंके सुनते हुए रुक्मीके ऐसा कहनेपर परमबुद्धिमान् कुन्तीपुत्र अर्जुनने वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्ण और धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरकी ओर देखते हुए मित्रभावसे हँसकर कहा--
nihatya samare śatrūṁs tava dāsyāmi medinīm | "mere hiṣṣe meṁ droṇācārya, kṛpācārya tathā vīravara bhīṣma evaṁ karṇa hī kyoṁ na hoṁ, kisīko jīvita nahīṁ choṛūṁgā athavā yahāṁ padhāre hue ye sab rājā chupacāp khaṛe raheṁ | maiṁ akelā hī samarabhūmi meṁ tumhāre sāre śatrūoṁ kā vadha karke tumheṁ pṛthvī kā rājya arpit kar dūṁgā" || ity ukto dharmarājasya keśavasya ca saṁnidhau, uvāca dhīmān kaunteyaḥ prahasya sakhi-pūrvakam |
Rukmī declarou: “Depois de abater teus inimigos na batalha, eu te darei a terra. Ainda que a minha parte inclua Droṇa, Kṛpa, o poderoso Bhīṣma e Karṇa, não deixarei ninguém com vida. Ou então, que todos estes reis que aqui vieram permaneçam em silêncio. Eu sozinho matarei no campo de batalha todos os teus adversários e te apresentarei a soberania sobre a terra.” Tendo ele falado assim na presença de Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira e de Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), enquanto os demais reis ouviam, Arjuna, o sábio filho de Kuntī, voltou o olhar para Kṛṣṇa e Yudhiṣṭhira e, sorrindo com amizade, respondeu.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical tension between boastful promises of violence and the disciplined discernment expected in dharmic statecraft. In the presence of Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira, a claim to win a kingdom by single-handed slaughter is framed as rhetoric that must be judged by wisdom, propriety, and realistic appraisal rather than mere bravado.
Rukmī publicly declares that he will fight alone, kill the Pāṇḍavas’ enemies—including famed warriors like Droṇa, Kṛpa, Bhīṣma, and Karṇa—and then hand the earth to Yudhiṣṭhira. Hearing this in the company of Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna smiles and prepares to answer, setting up a pointed response to Rukmī’s claim.