Shloka 13
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
श्रूयते हि पुरा गीत: श्लोको5यं भरतर्षभ । प्रह्मदेनाथ भद्रें ते हृते राज्ये तु दैवतैः
śrūyate hi purā gītaḥ śloko ’yaṃ bharatarṣabha | prahrādenātha bhadraṃ te hṛte rājye tu daivataiḥ ||
三阇耶说道：“婆罗多族中的雄牛啊，愿吉祥临于你。确实传闻在远古之时，正是普罗诃罗陀唱出了这首偈颂。当诸天夺去他的国土时，他便说出了这番话……”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a traditional exemplum: even when sovereignty is lost by forces beyond one’s control (here, the gods), a righteous person like Prahlāda responds with composed speech and auspicious intent, implying steadiness, non-despair, and adherence to dharma amid reversals.
Sañjaya introduces an old, well-known śloka, saying it was sung long ago by Prahlāda at the moment his kingdom was taken away by the gods; this serves as a precedent to illuminate the present political crisis in the Udyoga Parva.