Shloka 23
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
नद्वितीयां प्रतिज्ञां हि प्रतिजानामि कैतव । सत्यं॑ ब्रवीम्यहं होतत् सर्व सत्यं भविष्यति,'शकुनिपुत्र! मैं दूसरी बार प्रतिज्ञा करना नहीं जानता। तुझसे सच्ची बात कहता हूँ। यह सब कुछ सत्य होकर रहेगा।' तत्पश्चात् युधिष्ठिरने भी धूर्त जुआरीके पुत्र उलूकसे इस प्रकार कहा--'वत्स उलूक! तू दुर्योधनके पास जाकर मेरी यह बात कहना --
na dvitīyāṁ pratijñāṁ hi pratijānāmi kaitava | satyaṁ bravīmy ahaṁ hotat sarvaṁ satyaṁ bhaviṣyati |
“O mapanlinlang, hindi ko alam ang gumawa ng panata sa ikalawang pagkakataon. Katotohanan ang sinasabi ko sa iyo: ang lahat ng ito’y tiyak na mangyayari bilang katotohanan.” Pagkaraan nito, si Yudhiṣṭhira ay nagsalita rin kay Ulūka—anak ng tusong sugarol—na nagsasabing, “Mahal kong Ulūka, pumaroon ka kay Duryodhana at iparating ang aking mensahe …”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of a vow made in truth: a righteous person does not repeatedly re-pledge for effect, but speaks once with integrity and stands by it. Truth (satya) is presented as performative and binding—what is spoken in righteousness is expected to become reality.
Sañjaya narrates a tense exchange in which a speaker rebukes a deceitful interlocutor and affirms that what has been declared will surely occur. Immediately after, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Ulūka (Śakuni’s son), instructing him to return to Duryodhana with a message—part of the charged diplomatic communications just before the outbreak of war.