Shloka 36

उलूकदूतवाक्यम् / Ulūka’s Message to the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच (तच्छुत्वा वचनं तस्य विजयस्य हि धीमत: ।) विनिवर्त्य ततो रुक्मी सेनां सागरसंनिभाम्‌ | दुर्योधनमुपागच्छत्‌ तथैव भरतर्षभ,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--भरतश्रेष्ठ! उन परम बुद्धिमान्‌ अर्जुनका यह वचन सुनकर रुक्मी अपनी समुद्र-सदूश विशाल सेनाको लौटाकर उसी प्रकार दुर्योधनके पास गया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tac chrutvā vacanaṃ tasya vijayasya hi dhīmataḥ | vinivartya tato rukmī senāṃ sāgarasaṃnibhām | duryodhanam upāgacchat tathaiva bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Hỡi bậc tráng kiệt của dòng Bharata, nghe lời của Vijaya (Arjuna) đầy trí tuệ ấy, Rukmī liền cho quay lại đạo quân mênh mông như biển, rồi cũng như trước, đến gặp Duryodhana.”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• विजयस्य: of Vijaya (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• धीमतः: of the wise/intelligent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विनिवर्त्य: having turned back/caused to return
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वृत् (वर्तते/वर्तयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund, lyap-form), Causative sense (usage), Non-finite

• ततः: then, from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• रुक्मी: Rukmi
• रुक्मी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिन्/रुक्मी (नाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सेनाम्: army
• सेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सागर-संनिभाम्: ocean-like, resembling the sea
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर + संनिभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दुर्योधनम्: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपागच्छत्: approached, went to
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√गम्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• भरत-ऋषभ: O bull of the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vijaya (Arjuna)
• Rukmī
• Duryodhana
• Bharatarṣabha (Janamejaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and armies are secondary to discernment and alignment: after hearing Arjuna’s decisive words, Rukmī redirects his forces and chooses a political side, showing that intention and allegiance shape outcomes more than sheer military magnitude.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Rukmī, upon hearing the wise Vijaya (Arjuna), turns back his vast army and goes to Duryodhana, indicating a shift or confirmation of support toward the Kauravas.