Shloka 78
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
शिखण्डिनमथो ब्रूहि उलूक वचनान्मम । स्त्रीति मत्वा महाबाहुर्न हनिष्पति कौरव:
śikhaṇḍinam atho brūhi ulūka vacanān mama | strīti matvā mahābāhur na haniṣyati kauravaḥ ||
三阇耶说道：“随后，噢乌卢迦，也把我的话转告尸佉ṇḍin：‘俱卢族那位臂力无双的毗湿摩——恒河之子、弓手之冠——因把你视作女子，必不击杀你。故当无惧而战，在战场上谨慎用力，显露你的勇武；我们将见证你的男儿气概。’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a martial-ethical constraint: Bhīṣma’s kṣatriya code prevents him from striking someone he regards as a woman. It also shows how such ethical vows can be exploited strategically—moral rules shape battlefield outcomes as much as weapons do.
Sañjaya instructs the Kaurava envoy Ulūka to deliver a taunting, confidence-building message to Śikhaṇḍin: Bhīṣma will not attack him, so he should fight fearlessly and display valor. The message functions as psychological pressure and tactical signaling before the great war.