Shloka 120
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
संयुगं गच्छ भीष्मेण भिन्धि वा शिरसा गिरिम् | तरस्व वा महागाध॑ बाहुभ्यां पुरुषोदधिम्,“तुम भीष्मके साथ युद्ध करो या सिरसे पहाड़ फोड़ो या सैनिकोंके अत्यन्त गहरे महासागरको दोनों बाँहोंसे तैरकर पार करो
saṁyugaṁ gaccha bhīṣmeṇa bhindhi vā śirasā girim | tarasva vā mahāgādhaṁ bāhubhyāṁ puruṣodadhim ||
संजय म्हणाला—भीष्मासह रणात उतर; नाहीतर मस्तकाने पर्वत फोड; अथवा दोन्ही बाहूंनी त्या अतिगाढ ‘पुरुष-सागर’ाला पोहून पार कर।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses hyperbole to insist on steadfastness: when dharma and obligation press upon a person, one must not shrink back, even if the task seems as impossible as splitting a mountain or crossing an ocean.
Sanjaya reports an intense exhortation framed as a set of impossible alternatives—fight Bhishma, or perform superhuman feats—underscoring the gravity of the coming conflict and the expectation of unwavering courage.