Shloka 37
उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
तथैव चाभिगम्यैनमुवाच वसुधाधिप: । प्रत्याख्यातश्न॒ तेनापि स तदा शूरमानिना,दुर्योधनसे मिलकर राजा रुक्मीने उससे भी वैसी ही बातें कहीं। तब अपनेको शूरवीर माननेवाले दुर्योधनने भी उसकी सहायता लेनेसे इन्कार कर दिया
tathaiva cābhigamyainam uvāca vasudhādhipaḥ | pratyākhyātaś ca tenāpi sa tadā śūramāninā ||
اسی طرح زمین کے حاکم رُکمی اس کے پاس گیا اور ویسی ہی باتیں کہیں؛ مگر اس وقت اپنے آپ کو بڑا سورما سمجھنے والے دُریودھن نے بھی اسے رد کر دیا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ahamkāra (self-conceit) and the desire to appear heroic can lead to rejecting potentially stabilizing counsel or alliances, thereby accelerating conflict and ethical decline.
A king approaches and speaks to a person in the same way as earlier, but is again refused; the refusal is attributed to a warrior who considers himself a great hero—contextually, this points to Duryodhana declining assistance (notably associated in the chapter’s narrative with Rukmī).