Shloka 16
उक्तवांश्वापि यत् पार्थे भीष्म प्रति नरर्षभम्
uktavānśvāpi yat pārthe bhīṣma prati nararṣabham
Sañjaya said: Even what he had spoken to Pārtha—addressing the bull among men—was directed toward Bhīṣma. The narration highlights how words spoken in the midst of war are often aimed not merely at one listener, but at shaping the resolve and moral stance of the foremost elders and leaders who embody the battlefield’s ethical weight.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that speech in a dharmic crisis is strategic and ethically charged: words addressed to one hero (Arjuna) can simultaneously be meant to influence an elder authority (Bhīṣma), reminding leaders that their moral posture shapes the course of war.
Sañjaya reports that statements made in relation to Pārtha (Arjuna), praising him as the foremost of men, were also aimed toward Bhīṣma—indicating a layered address where the message is intended for multiple key figures on the battlefield.