Shloka 21

Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)

Devanagari script

कार्येण महता युक्त दम्भयुक्तेन भारत । तेषां मतिरियं राजन्नासीत्‌ तत्र विनिश्चये,“भारत! दम्भयुक्त महान्‌ कर्मोके अनुष्ठानमें लगे हुए उस बिलावको देखकर उनके मनमें यह विचार उत्पन्न हुआ

Transliteration

kāryeṇa mahatā yukta dambhayuktena bhārata | teṣāṁ matir iyaṁ rājann āsīt tatra viniścaye ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“噢，婆罗多啊！他们见那猫似在从事一桩大业，却夹杂虚伪；在那决断之时，陛下，他们心中便生出这样的定见。”

Word by Word

• कार्येण: by/with an act (deed)
• कार्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• युक्तः: endowed/engaged
• युक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दम्भयुक्तेन: with hypocrisy; hypocritical
• दम्भयुक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम्भयुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• मतिः: thought/idea
• मतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इयम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• आसीत्: was/arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• विनिश्चये: in the decision/determination
• विनिश्चये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनिश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata, Rājan)
• cat (bilāva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Outwardly impressive actions can conceal inner deceit; ethical judgment requires looking beyond appearances (dambha) to true intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon seeing a cat performing a seemingly grand act but marked by hypocrisy, the observers form a definite opinion about it at that moment.