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 ||
毗舍摩波耶那说道：“我怎能说‘我害怕’？我既奉德罗那为师，自认其弟子；婆苏提婆（克里希纳）又为我助力；而我手中还执着甘狄婆神弓。”
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.