Balarama spoke thus: by ties of blood, both the Kauravas and the Pandavas stand equal to Krishna, yet his heart inclines toward the sons of Pandu, and above all toward Arjuna, with a deeper affection. He turns events according to his own will, and the sons of Kunti, restless and resolute, circle him without remaining long in one place. From this, I perceive that the Pandavas stand upon the very threshold of victory, while the race of the Kauravas is destined to be swept away in this war without doubt. How can my heart endure such an outcome? I myself trained Duryodhana and Vṛkodara in the art of the mace and fashioned them into peerless warriors. If my own disciples destroy one another, how shall I bear the sight and sound of their mangled bodies? Justice, virtue, and the four aims of human life are fully known to Govinda alone and remain beyond my comprehension. Unable to witness or hear of this cruel enterprise, I resolve to depart on a sacred journey of penance along the banks of the Saraswati. Having come to inform you of this resolve, I take my leave. The son of Dharma and Krishna consented, and Krishna honoured him properly and sent him on his way.
Thereafter Rukmi, the brother of Rukmini, the chief queen of Krishna, arrived. He was mighty and capable, yet his pride often surged and betrayed itself through arrogant speech. He came to the camp of Dharmaraja and stationed his forces on the right flank in support of the Pandavas, where Arjuna, Krishna, and others were present. There he proclaimed that Arjuna’s divine bow Gandiva and Krishna’s discus were no match for his own strength and valour, declaring that he possessed weapons of greater power and that victory surely rested with him. Dharmaraja received him with due honour befitting his royal status and seated him upon a splendid throne. Then Rukmi, standing stiff with brazen pride, addressed Arjuna, asking whether he feared the war and offering to stand by him and defeat the enemy despite their famed abilities, boasting that none could confront him on the battlefield. Arjuna reflected inwardly on this insult, remembering how this same man had once been humbled when Krishna carried away his sister before his armed retinue, yet now dared to speak so boldly. Smiling calmly, Arjuna replied before others could intervene that when he had rescued Duryodhana and his women from the Gandharva king and when he had reclaimed the cattle of Virata from the Kauravas, Rukmi had been nowhere to be seen. He advised him to restrain his words and lend his aid where it was truly needed, along with his pride in victory. Thus, Arjuna clearly perceived Rukmi’s intent and gently rejected him, knowing well the path that lay before him.
Arjuna continued, declaring that in earlier times he had undertaken chosen missions without seeking anyone’s support and had achieved their ends, guided and upheld in all actions by Lord Vishnu himself. He required no external aid and feared no future event. Support would be sought only if he himself invited it, and until then, these warriors were sufficient to dispel all fear. He urged Rukmi to go where he pleased and assist whom he wished. Rukmi then went to Duryodhana and spoke with the same harsh arrogance, which provoked Duryodhana’s anger. Rebuking him sharply, Duryodhana dismissed him, saying he needed no such support and ordering him to leave at once. Rukmi departed in bitterness, lamenting that his zealous journey from his kingdom had been wasted, blind to the truth that his own tongue was his enemy. Thus, neither Rukmi nor Balarama joined either side, though nearly all kings of the earth had chosen their camps.
At the deep of night, Dhritarashtra summoned Sanjaya and spoke sorrowfully, saying that war is the root of calamity, the source of grievous consequences, and contrary to righteous purpose. His disobedient son and his unruly companions, through argument and obstinacy, had turned a family dispute into a catastrophe for the world. Though possessing authority, he had remained silent, bound by fate’s decree. Lamenting that what is destined cannot be averted, he asked Sanjaya to recount the notable events after both armies assembled at Kurukshetra. Sanjaya replied pointedly that the king recognized his son’s faults yet failed to see his own, reminding him that the sons of Pandu had been wronged with his full consent. Nevertheless, since the king wished to hear, Sanjaya began his account.
Duryodhana, after conferring with Shakuni, Dushasana, and Karna, dispatched Uluka, the son of Shakuni, instructing him to deliver harsh words in the presence of Krishna, Drupada, and the Pandavas. The foolish and thoughtless Uluka went to Dharmaraja’s camp and announced that he bore a message from King Duryodhana, requesting that it be heard without anger. The son of Dharma assured him of safety and urged him to speak freely. Emboldened, Uluka proclaimed Duryodhana’s message, mocking the Pandavas for their long wait and urging them to prove their strength in battle, boasting of the might of Bhishma and the deadly skill of Drona, and questioning whether Arjuna could escape their divine weapons. He taunted Bhima for his oath against Dushasana and derided his pride, threatening inevitable defeat. Turning to Arjuna, he sneered at his famed bow and Krishna’s support, recalled the humiliation of Draupadi, mocked their disguises and hardships, and boasted that even countless Arjunas and Krishnas could not prevail against the Kauravas, denying them even a span of land. These words inflamed Nakula and Sahadeva, but Krishna, smiling, commanded Uluka to return and tell Duryodhana that war would begin on the morrow and that he should embrace the death he could not escape. He foretold Bhima’s fulfilment of his vow and Arjuna warned Uluka that borrowed pride would fail, declaring that Bhishma would be the first offering in war, Drona would be checked, Karna driven away, and Duryodhana forced to face the ruin brought by his own sins.
Sanjaya further reported that Dharmaraja honoured Uluka and sent him away, then declared to Dhrishtadyumna that battle would commence the next day and ordered preparations to begin. Dhrishtadyumna rejoiced at the prospect of facing Drona, the foe of his father, while Shikhandi exulted at the chance to confront Bhishma. Uluka returned and vividly conveyed the enemy’s message and resolve, upon which Duryodhana ordered Karna to marshal all forces for battle. Sanjaya concluded that both armies burned with eagerness to destroy one another, that the psychological assault begun by Duryodhana had been firmly answered by the Pandavas and Krishna, and that such a pattern of turning failure into seeming advantage revealed the crooked ingenuity of Duryodhana, whose deeper designs would unfold in time.
