Shloka 48
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
त्वत्कृते दुष्टभावस्य संत्यागो विदुरस्य च । जातुषे च गृहे दाहं समर तं पुरुषो भव,“तुम्हारे लिये ही मैंने दुष्टात्मा विदुरका परित्याग कर दिया है। लाक्षागृहमें अपने जलाये जानेकी घटनाका स्मरण करो और अबसे भी मर्द बन जाओ
tvatkṛte duṣṭabhāvasya saṃtyāgo vidurasya ca | jātūṣe ca gṛhe dāhaṃ smara taṃ puruṣo bhava ||
सञ्जय उवाच— त्वत्कृतेऽहं विदुरं दुष्टभावं परित्यक्तवान्; जातुगृहे दाहं स्मर, अधुना च समरे पुरुषो भव।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse shows how political loyalty and wounded pride can override ethical counsel: recalling past violence (the lac-house plot) is used to justify hardening one’s stance and rejecting a voice of dharmic prudence (Vidura).
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war tensions, Sañjaya reports a statement that the speaker had cast off Vidura’s advice and urges the addressee to remember the lac-house burning episode and act with aggressive resolve.