Shloka 27
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
द्वयोयोंगं न पश्यामि तपसो रक्षणस्य च | अवश्यं तु मया कार्य वचन भवतां हितम्
dvayor yogaṁ na paśyāmi tapaso rakṣaṇasya ca | avaśyaṁ tu mayā kāryaṁ vacanaṁ bhavatāṁ hitam ||
三阇耶说道：“我看不出这两者如何相合——修苦行与施以护卫。这两件事似乎不能并行。然而，我必当说出对你们有益之言。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical tension: one may not be able to pursue two aims simultaneously (here, austerity and active protection), yet one still bears responsibility to speak what is truly beneficial (hita) for others—prioritizing welfare-oriented counsel even amid conflicting duties.
Sanjaya reports a speaker’s response that the two roles—performing tapas and providing protection—do not readily fit together, but despite this incompatibility the speaker insists on delivering advice meant for the listeners’ welfare.