The speech of Uluka

Sanjaya said The son, of the one proficient in the game of dice, having reached the encampment of the Pandavas, said to Yudhishthira who was seated with the other sons of Pandu.

You very well know the nature of the words of envoys; therefore it is not proper that you should be angry with me who will only speak what Duryodhana has instructed me.

Yudhishthira said O Uluka, you need have no fear; speak out without any fear of trouble, what opinion is held by the son of Dhritarashtra, actuated by avarice and having little foresight."

Then in the midst of those men of effulgence, those great-souled son of Pandu and the Srinjayas and the Matsya's and also the renowned Krishna,

And also of Drupada with his son and in the presence of Virata also and in the midst of those rulers of the earth he uttered these words.

Uluka said The royal son of Dhritarashtra, endued with a large mind, said this to you in the hearing, of the Kuru heroes; listen to them O Yudhishthira.

You had been defeated at a game of dice, and Krishna had been dragged into the council, a man, who thinks himself to be a male, would be justified under these circumstances to show his wrath.

For twelve years have you been exiled from your home into the woods, and for a whole year you lived as a slave under Virata.

Remembering, O son of Pandu, the pain of being exiled from your kingdom and of your residence in the forth and the trouble endued by Krishna, be a man.

O son of Pandu now let what had been said by O Bhimasena namely that he would drink the blood of Dushasana, be made good by him, if he can.

The deities, presiding over each weapon, have now been invoked. Kurukshetra is now free from mud, your horses are fat and sleek, your soldiers have been paid their dies, therefore do you fight, along with Keshava tomorrow.

Without encountering Bhishma in battle why do you boast? Like that fool who used to boast without ever ascending the Gandhamadana mountain, You too boast in the same way; O son of Kunti, show forth your manliness without boasting. The son of a Suta, excited with great wrath, and that foremost among persons endued with strength namely Shalya and Drona that foremost among men gifted with strength, who all in battle are equal to the Lord of Sachi himself, without defeating in battle all these, how do you desire the kingdom, O son of Pritha?

The one, who is the preceptor in the science of bowmanship as also in the Vedas he who has thoroughly studied these two, he that is foremost in battle and who can never be separated from his army, O son of Pritha, the desire you entertain of vanquishing in battle that Drona, is vain; I never heard that the Meru mountain was ever moved by the wind.

But even the wind may move the Meru mountain, the heaven may fall over the earth, the periods now reigning may change, if what you have told me ever happens. Who is there, the son of Pritha or any body else, who, having fought with this grinder of foes, would return home with life and in health, Who is there touching this earth with his foot who, after an encounter with these two and having his body brought in contract with the fierce arrows, would leave the field of battle alive?

Why do you, like a frog living in a well, not understand the might of this vast army of assembled monarchs which is hard to be vanquished and which, shining as a celestial army, is protected by kings as heaven itself by the gods? Protected by the kings of the East, West, South, and North, of the Shalvas along with the Matsya's, the Kurus of the middle countries, the Mlecchas, the Pulindas, the Dravidas, the Andhras, and the Kanchis, Why do you wish to fight, o fool of little understanding, with me in the midst of this army of elephants, this army composed of various races and which in battle is as incapable of being crossed over as the waves of the Ganga.

Saying this to the king Yudhishthira the son of Dharma Uluka again turned to the one accustomed to victories and said to him,

Fight and do not boast; why do you; O Arjuna, boast so much? One wins a battle by his method of fighting and he does not win in consequence of boats.

If, O Dhananjaya, people in the world were to succeed owing to boasting then all would have their objects gained for who would be slow to boast.

I know that Vasudeva is your ally, I know your Gandiva bow which is six cubits long. I know that there is no warriors equal to you, and knowing all this I deprive you of your kingdom.

Man does not obtain success in his desires simple as a matter of course, By mere will force does the Creator make unfavourable circumstances turn into favourable ones and get them under control.

The kingdom has been enjoyed by me for thirteen years while you were weeping; and again shall I rule over it after slaying yourself along with your friends.

Where was your Gandiva bow when you were defeated at a game of dice and made a slave? And where again was the strength of Bhimasena, O Falguna?

Without the help of that praise worthy Krishna you would not have been liberated at the time, though you had the help of Bhimasena with his mace and Falguna with his Gandiva.

She, the daughter of Prishata race, liberated you who had come by the condition of a slave, and were engaged in offices becoming only of the low and in working as slaves.

What, I said then of you, namely, that you were like the seed of the sesame without the kernel, was indeed true for did not the son of Pritha (Arjuna) bear long hair when in the city of Virata?

The feelings of weariness, which O son of Kunti, were felt by Bhimasena in the palace of Virata, while engaged in the duties of a cook, are a proof of my manliness.

Wearing the disguise of an eunuch, and wearing long hair and with hips and waist bands were you engaged in teaching a girl dancing. Such is the punishment which Kshatriyas award to a Kshatriya who flies from battle.

Nor from fear of Vasudeva, nor form fear of you, O Falguna, shall I give you back the kingdom therefore do you fight along with Keshava.

Neither deception, nor illusion, nor the trick of a conjurer is frightful to one who has taken up arms for fight, these only tend to excite his anger.

A thousand Vasudevas, a hundred of Falgunas, having confronted me whose arms are never struck in vain, will fly away in all directions.

Go to fight with Bhishma, or rend asunder the mountain by your head or with the help only of your two arms cross the sea of vast expanse,

With the son of Sharadvata as the great finish, Brihadbala as the great crocodile and the son of Somadatta as the Timi fish.

With Bhishma as the current which cannot be crossed, with Drona as the alligator which cannot be approached with Karna and Shalya, as a swarm of small fishes, and Kamboja as the mouth giving out flames.

Dusshasana is like water-flow in which Shala and Shalya are fishes. Sushena is serpent and Chitrayudha is crocodile, while Jayadratha is mountain, Purumitra is its depth, Durmarshana is water and Shakuni is its falls.

Many types of weapons are like waterflows of the soldier's sea, which is endless and enlarged. Entering into this, you will grieve, loosing your consciousness on destruction of your relatives.

O Partha! As the mind of an impious man retires from heaven, you will retire from your ruling power. Keep quite, it is very difficult to gain the kingdom for you like a man wants heaven without any penance.