Shloka 27
उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas
द्रोणं व्यपदिशज्शिष्यो वासुदेवसहायवान् । भीतो<स्मीति कथं ब्रूयां दधानो गाण्डिवं धनु:
droṇaṁ vyapadiśañ śiṣyo vāsudeva-sahāyavān | bhīto 'smīti kathaṁ brūyāṁ dadhāno gāṇḍīvaṁ dhanuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Sao ta có thể thốt lên: ‘Ta sợ hãi,’ khi ta xưng Droṇa là thầy và tự nhận mình là môn đệ của người; khi Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) đứng làm trợ lực cho ta; và khi ta cầm cung Gāṇḍīva trong tay?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that fear is inconsistent with publicly affirmed sources of strength and obligation—one’s guru-trained identity, one’s alliance with Kṛṣṇa, and one’s readiness for battle. Ethically, it highlights the kṣatriya ideal: courage grounded in duty, discipline, and rightful support rather than in mere bravado.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, a warrior voice (reported by Vaiśampāyana) rejects the possibility of admitting fear, citing Droṇa as teacher, Kṛṣṇa as ally, and the Gāṇḍīva as the emblem of martial capability—an assertion of resolve as the conflict approaches.