Shloka 5
Ulūka’s Provocative Envoy-Speech in the Pāṇḍava Camp
Ulūka-dūta-vākya
तथापि निकृतिप्रज्ं पुत्र दुर्दूतदेविनम् । न शवक््नोमि नियमन्तुं वा कर्तु वा हितमात्मन:,“मैं तो समझता हूँ” दैव ही प्रबल है। उसके सामने पुरुषार्थ व्यर्थ है; क्योंकि मैं युद्धके दोषोंको अच्छी तरह जानता हूँ। वे दोष भयंकर संहार उपस्थित करनेवाले हैं, इस बातको भी समझता हूँ, तथापि ठगवि द्याके पण्डित तथा कपटटद्यूत करनेवाले अपने पुत्रको न तो रोक सकता हूँ और न अपना हित-साधन ही कर सकता हूँ
tathāpi nikṛtiprajñaṃ putra durdūtadevinam | na śaknomi niyamantuṃ vā kartuṃ vā hitam ātmanaḥ ||
तथापि निकृतिप्रज्ञं पुत्रं दुर्द्यूतदेविनम् । न शक्नोमि नियन्तुं वा कर्तुं वा हितमात्मनः ॥
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral helplessness born of attachment: knowing what is right is insufficient if one lacks the will (or courage) to restrain wrongdoing—especially within one’s own family. It underscores the ethical demand for self-governance and responsible intervention when harm is foreseeable.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) conveys a ruler-father’s confession: despite understanding the disastrous consequences, he cannot control his son, who is skilled in deceit and addicted to wrongful gambling—an admission that foreshadows the slide toward war.