Shloka 17
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
तं॑ चेह निकृतिप्रज्ञं पाउ्चाल्यं पापचेतसम् । पुरस्कृत्य रणे पार्थो भीष्मस्यायोधनं गत:,“शठताके पूरे पण्डित उस पापात्मा पांचाल-राजकुमार शिखण्डीको यहाँ रणमें आगे करके कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन भीष्मसे युद्ध करनेके लिये गये हैं
taṁ ceha nikṛtiprajñaṁ pāñcālyaṁ pāpacetasam | puraskṛtya raṇe pārtho bhīṣmasyāyodhanaṁ gataḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Hier hat Pārtha (Arjuna), indem er jenen panchalischen Prinzen von listigem Verstand und unreinem Sinn — Śikhaṇḍin — vorangestellt hat, den Kampf betreten, um Bhīṣma zu stellen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in warfare: even when fighting for a righteous cause, warriors may resort to morally questionable stratagems. It invites reflection on how dharma is tested under extreme necessity, and how intention, means, and consequences complicate moral judgment.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna advances to fight Bhīṣma while placing Śikhaṇḍin in front. Since Bhīṣma will not attack Śikhaṇḍin, this tactic enables Arjuna to confront and ultimately bring down Bhīṣma.