Shloka 231
तथा शान्तनवो भीष्मो न्यस्तशस्त्रो निरायुध: । शिखण्डिनं पुरस्कृत्य हतो गाण्डीवधन्चना
tathā śāntanavo bhīṣmo nyastaśastro nirāyudhaḥ | śikhaṇḍinaṃ puraskṛtya hato gāṇḍīvadhanvanā ||
وكذلك بيشما، ابن شانتانو—وقد ألقى سلاحه ووقف أعزل—قُتل على يد حامل الغانديفا، وقد جُعل شيكاندين في المقدّمة.
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in warfare: even the mightiest can fall when bound by vows and moral constraints, and opponents may employ indirect means. It invites reflection on how dharma is tested in war—where strategy can exploit an enemy’s restraint, raising questions about fairness versus necessity.
Kṛpa recalls Bhīṣma’s fall: Bhīṣma, identified as Śāntanu’s son, becomes effectively unarmed (having laid aside weapons), and Arjuna—wielder of the Gāṇḍīva—kills him while Śikhaṇḍin is positioned in front, a tactical arrangement central to Bhīṣma’s death episode.