Shloka 2

Ulūka’s Provocative Envoy-Speech in the Pāṇḍava Camp

Ulūka-dūta-vākya

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तथा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु यत्तेषु भरतर्षभ । धृतराष्ट्री महाराज संजयं वाक्यमत्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tathā vyūḍheṣv anīkeṣu yat teṣu bharatarṣabha | dhṛtarāṣṭrī mahārāja sañjayaṁ vākyam abravīt ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Hỡi bậc trượng phu của dòng Bharata! Khi các đạo quân ấy đã được bày trận theo thế trận (vyūha) và đứng sẵn sàng, Hoàng hậu Dhṛtarāṣṭrī liền cất lời với Sañjaya—ngay lúc bánh xe chiến tranh đã bắt đầu lăn, và sức nặng đạo lý của bạo lực sắp xảy đến đè lên hoàng tộc.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• व्यूढेषु: when (they were) arrayed/formed
• व्यूढेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यूढ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• अनीकेषु: in the armies/divisions
• अनीकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• यत्: when/that (relative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• तेषु: among them/in those
• तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• भरतर्षभ: O bull of the Bharatas (best of Bharata lineage)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धृतराष्ट्री: O Dhṛtarāṣṭrī (queen of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्री
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संजयम्: Sañjaya (as the one addressed/spoken to)
• संजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: a statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अत्र: here/at this point
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• अवीत्: spoke/said
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharatarṣabha (Janamejaya)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭrī
• Sañjaya
• armies (anīka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical gravity that arises once armies are formally arrayed: decisions made within the royal family now carry immediate consequences for countless lives, highlighting responsibility in kingship and the peril of allowing conflict to become irreversible.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the forces stand arranged in battle formation, the narration shifts to Dhṛtarāṣṭrī speaking to Sañjaya, marking a transition from preparation to imminent action and setting up the next exchange.