Shloka 3

Adhyāya 160: Arjuna’s Envoy-Message—Critique of Borrowed Valor and Pre-dawn Mobilization

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच उलूक न भयं ते<स्ति ब्रूहि त्वं विगतज्वर:ः । यन्मतं धार्तराष्ट्रस्य लुब्धस्यादीर्घदर्शिन:

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ulūka na bhayaṃ te 'sti brūhi tvaṃ vigatajvaraḥ | yanmataṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya lubdhasyādīrghadarśinaḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Yudhishthira: “Uluka, wala kang dapat ikatakot. Magsalita ka nang malaya at iwaksi ang pangamba. Ipaalam mo sa amin ang balak ng anak ni Dhritarashtra—yaong sakim at salat sa malayong pagtanaw.”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उलूक: O Ulūka
• उलूक: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative, Singular

• अस्ति: is / exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्रूहि: tell (you)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• विगतज्वरः: free from fever/anxiety
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगतज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: what / that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मतम्: opinion / intention
• मतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; from √मन्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रस्य: of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• लुब्धस्य: of the greedy one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक; past participle of √लुभ्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अदीर्घदर्शिनः: of the short-sighted one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदीर्घदर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

युधिष्ठिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Ulūka
• Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid hostility, a righteous king upholds diplomatic propriety: a messenger should be allowed to speak without fear. The verse also frames ethical critique—greed and lack of foresight are presented as causes of destructive policy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ulūka arrives as the Kaurava envoy. Yudhiṣṭhira reassures him of safety and invites him to deliver Duryodhana’s message and intentions, while characterizing Duryodhana as greedy and short-sighted.