Shloka 11

Devanagari script

लोहाभिसारो निर्वेत्त: कुरुक्षेत्रमकर्दमम्‌ । सम: पन्था भृतास्तेश्वा: श्वो युध्यस्व सकेशव:,“लोहेके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंकी बाहर निकालकर उन्हें तैयार करने आदिका कार्य पूरा हो गया है, कुरुक्षेत्रक्री कीचड़ सूख गयी है, मार्ग बराबर हो गया है और तुम्हारे अश्व भी खूब पले हुए हैं; अत: कल सबेरेसे ही श्रीकृष्णके साथ आकर युद्ध करो

Transliteration

ulūka uvāca | lohābhisāro nirvṛttaḥ kurukṣetram akardamam | samaḥ panthā bhṛtās te 'śvāḥ śvo yudhyasva sa-keśavaḥ |

Translation

उलूक उवाच—लोहाभिसारो निर्वृत्तः; कुरुक्षेत्रमकर्दमम्। समः पन्थाः, भृतास्तेऽश्वाः; श्वो युध्यस्व सकेशवः॥

Word by Word

लोहाभिसारःthe iron-mustering/arming (preparation with iron weapons)

निर्वृत्तःcompleted, finished

कुरुक्षेत्रम्Kurukṣetra (the field of the Kurus)

अकर्दमम्free of mud, not muddy

समःeven, level

पन्थाःthe road/path

भृताःwell-nourished, well-fed

तेthey/those (your)

अश्वाःhorses

श्वःtomorrow

युध्यस्वfight!

सकेशवःtogether with Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

उलूक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ulūka

Kurukṣetra

Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

horses

weapons/arms (iron)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how deliberate preparation and strategic timing are used to compel action in war; ethically, it shows the rhetoric of provocation—pressing the opponent to fight immediately—highlighting the tension between duty (kṣatriya warfare) and the manipulative escalation that precedes violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ulūka, acting as a messenger from the Kaurava side, taunts and summons the opposing party to come the next morning to Kurukṣetra for battle, emphasizing that weapons are ready, the ground has dried, the road is smooth, and the horses are well-fed—signaling full readiness for war.