Chapter 162

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having reached the Pandava camp, the gambler’s son(Uluka) presented himself before the Pandavas, and addressingYudhishthira said, ‘Thou art fully conversant with what envoys say! Itbehoveth thee not, therefore, to be angry with me if I repeat those wordsonly which Duryodhana hath instructed me to tell!’

“Hearing this, Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast no fear., O Uluka! Tell us,without any anxiety what are the views of the covetous Duryodhana oflimited sight!’ Then in the midst and presence of the illustrious andhigh-souled Pandavas, of the Srinjayas, and Krishna possessed of greatfame, of Drupada with his sons, of Virata, and of all monarchs, Ulukasaid these words.’

“Uluka said, ‘Even this is what the high-souled king Duryodhana hath inthe presence of all the Kuru heroes, said unto thee! Listen to thosewords, O Yudhishthira! Thou wert defeated at dice, and Krishna wasbrought into the assembly! At this, a person who regardeth himself a manwould be justified in giving way to wrath! For twelve years wert thoubanished from home into the woods! For one whole year didst thou live inVirata’s service. Remembering the reason there is for wrath, thy exile,and the persecution of Krishna, be a man, O son of Pandu! Though weak,Bhima yet, O Pandava, made a vow! Let him, if able, drink the blood ofDussasana! Thy weapons have been properly worshipped and their presidingdeities have been invoked! The field of Kurukshetra also is without mire.The roads are even. Thy steeds are well-fed. Engage in battle, therefore,on the morrow, with Kesava as thy ally! Without having yet approachedBhishma in battle, why dost thou indulge in boasts? Like a fool thatboasteth of his intention to ascend the mountains of Gandhamadana, thou,O son of Kunti, art indulging in a vain boast. Without having vanquishedin battle the Suta’s son (Karna) who is invincible, and Salya, thatforemost of mighty persons, and that first of all warriors and equal untoSachi’s lord himself in combat, why, O son of Pritha, dost thou wish forsovereignty? A preceptor in both the Vedas and the bow, he hath reachedthe end of both these branches of learning. Thou desirest in vain, O sonof Pritha, to vanquish that leader of troops, the illustrious Drona, whofightest in the van, is incapable of being agitated, and whose strengthknows no diminution. Never have we heard that the mountains of Sumeruhave been crushed by the wind! But the wind will bear away Sumeru, heavenitself will fall down on the earth, the very Yugas will be reversed ifwhat thou hast said unto me really taketh place! Who is there fond oflife, fighting from the back of an elephant or of a horse or from a car,that would return home (safe and sound), after having encountered thatgrinder of foes? What creature treading the earth with his feet, wouldescape with life from battle, having been attacked by Drona and Bhishma,or pierced with their terrible shafts? Like a frog within a well, whydost thou not realise the strength of this assembled host of monarchs,which resembleth the very celestial host, and which is protected by thesekings like the gods protecting theirs in heaven, and which, swarming withthe kings of the East, West, South, and North, with Kamvojas, Sakas,Khasas, Salwas, Matsyas, Kurus of the middle country, Mlechchhas,Pulindas, Dravidas, Andhras, and Kanchis, indeed, with many nations, alladdressed for battle, is uncrossable like the swollen tide of Ganga? Ofool of little understanding, how wilt thou fight with me while I amstationed in the midst of my elephant force?’

‘Having said these words unto king Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,Uluka, turning his face then towards Jishnu, said unto him these words,’Fight without bragging, O Arjuna! Why dost thou brag so much? Successresulteth from the application of method. A battle is never won bybragging. If acts in this world, O Dhananjaya, succeeded in consequenceonly of boasts, then all men would have succeeded in their objects, forwho is there that is not competent to brag? I know that thou hastVasudeva for thy ally. I know that thy Gandiva is full six cubits long. Iknow that there is no warrior equal to thee. Knowing all this, I retainthy kingdom yet! A man never winneth success in consequence of theattribute of lineage. It is the Supreme Ordainer alone who by his fiatmaketh (things hostile) friendly and subservient. For these thirteenyears have I enjoyed sovereignty, while ye were weeping! I shall continueto rule in the same way, slaying thee with thy kinsmen! Where was thyGandiva then when thou wert made a slave won at dice? Where, O Falguni,was Bhimasena’s might then? Your deliverance then came neither fromBhimasena armed with mace, nor from you armed with Gandiva, but fromfaultless Krishna. It was she, the daughter of Prishata’s house, thatdelivered you all, sunk in slavery, engaged in occupations worthy only ofthe low, and working as servitors! I characterised ye as sesame seedswithout kernel. That is very true, for, did not Partha bear a braid whileliving in Virata’s city? In the cooking apartments of Virata, Bhimasenawas fatigued with doing the work of a cook. Even this, O son of Kunti, is(evidence of) thy manliness! Flying from an encounter with braids andwaist-bands thyself binding thy hair into a braid, thou wert employed inteaching the girls to dance! It is thus that Kshatriyas always inflictpunishment on a Kshatriya! From fear of Vasudeva, or from fear ofthyself, O Falguni, I will not give up the kingdom. Fight, with Kesava asthy ally! Neither deception, nor conjuror’s tricks, nor jugglery canterrify an armed man ready for fight. On the other hand, all thisprovokes only his wrath! A thousand Vasudevas, a hundred Falgunis,approaching me whose aim and weapons never go for nothing, will fly awayin all directions, Encounter Bhishma in combat, or pierce the hills withthy head, or cross with the aid of thy two arms the vast and deep main!As regards my army, it is a veritable ocean with Saradwat’s son as itslarge fish; Vivingsati, its smaller fish; Vrihadvala its waves;Somadatta’s son its whale; Bhishma its mighty force; Drona itsunconquerable alligator; Karna and Salya, its fishes and whirlpools;Kamvoja its equine head vomiting fire, Jayadratha its (submarine) rock,Purumitra its depth, Durmarshana its waters, and Sakuni its shores! Whenhaving plunged into this swelling ocean with its inexhaustible waves ofweapons thou wilt from fatigue be deprived of thy senses, and have allthy relatives and friends slain, then will repentance possess thy heart!Then will thy heart turn away, O Partha, from the thought of ruling theearth like the heart of a person of impure deeds turning away from (hopeof) heaven. Indeed, for thee to win a kingdom to rule is as impossible asfor one not possessed of ascetic merit to obtain heaven!'”