उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
तथा विराटनगरे कुरुभि: सह संगरे । युध्यतो बहुभिस्तत्र क: सहायो5भवन्मम
tathā virāṭanagare kurubhiḥ saha saṅgare | yudhyato bahubhis tatra kaḥ sahāyo ’bhavan mama ||
«Так же и в городе Вирата, когда разгорелась битва с куру, и я, стоя один, сражался там против многих воинов, — кто тогда был моим помощником?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse frames a moral reflection: in moments of overwhelming odds, real protection is not merely external manpower but the dependable support of a true ally—implicitly pointing to the sustaining power of righteous alignment and higher guidance.
The speaker recalls the episode of conflict at Virāṭa’s city involving the Kurus, emphasizing that he fought many opponents while effectively alone, and asks rhetorically who supported him then—setting up the identification of the decisive helper.