Shloka 73
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
विराटद्रुपदौ चोभौ ब्रूयास्त्वं वचनान्मम । न दृष्टपूर्वा भर्तारो भृत्यैरपि महागुणै:,“तदनन्तर विराट और ट्रपदसे भी मेरी ओरसे कहना--“विधाताने जबसे प्रजाकी सृष्टि की है, तभीसे परम गुणवान् सेवकोंने भी अपने स्वामियोंकी अच्छी तरह परख नहीं की; उनके गुण-अवगुणको भलीभाँति नहीं पहचाना। इसी प्रकार स्वामियोंने भी सेवकोंको ठीक-ठीक नहीं समझा। इसीलिये युधिष्ठिर श्रद्धाके योग्य नहीं हैं, तो भी तुम दोनों उन्हें अपना राजा मानकर उनकी ओससे युद्धके लिये यहाँ आये हो
virāṭa-drupadau cobhau brūyās tvaṁ vacanān mama | na dṛṣṭa-pūrvā bhartāro bhṛtyair api mahā-guṇaiḥ ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “Ipahatid mo ang aking salita kina Virāṭa at Drupada: ‘Mula nang likhain ng Maylalang ang mga nilalang, hindi pa nasaksihan na kahit ang mga lingkod na may dakilang kagalingan ay ganap na nakatukoy sa kanilang panginoon—na makilala nang malinaw ang mga birtud at kapintasan; at gayundin, hindi rin lubos na naunawaan ng mga panginoon ang kanilang mga lingkod. Kaya, kahit si Yudhiṣṭhira ay hindi karapat-dapat pagtiwalaan, tinanggap pa rin ninyo siyang hari at naparito para sa digmaan ayon sa kanyang utos.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical and political problem: mutual misjudgment between rulers and retainers. Even highly capable servants may fail to assess a master’s true merits and faults, and masters likewise may not understand their servants. This cautions against blind allegiance and urges careful discernment in choosing whom to serve and trust.
Sañjaya reports (or frames) a message to be delivered to King Virāṭa and King Drupada. The message comments on the difficulty of accurately judging leaders and followers, and uses that observation to explain (and subtly critique) why allies may still accept Yudhiṣṭhira as their king and come to the war under his authority.