Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अरक्ष्यमाणं हि वृको हन्यात्‌ सिंहं महाबलम्‌ । मा सिंहं जम्बुकेनेव घातयाम: शिखण्डिना,“यदि महाबली सिंह भी अरक्षित-दशामें हो तो उसे एक भेड़िया भी मार सकता है। हमें चाहिये कि सियारके समान शिखण्डीके द्वारा सिंहसदृश भीष्मको न मरने दें

Transliteration

arakṣyamāṇaṃ hi vṛko hanyāt siṃhaṃ mahābalam | mā siṃhaṃ jambuken eva ghātayāmaḥ śikhaṇḍinā |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Selbst ein Wolf könnte einen überaus mächtigen Löwen töten, wenn der Löwe unbewacht bliebe. Lasst nicht zu, dass Bhīṣma—löwengleich an Tapferkeit—durch Śikhaṇḍin zu Fall gebracht wird, wie ein Löwe, den ein Schakal niederstreckt.“

Word by Word

अरक्ष्यमाणम्unguarded, not being protected

हिindeed, for

वृकःa wolf

हन्यात्might/should kill

सिंहम्a lion

महाबलम्very strong, of great strength

माdo not

सिंहम्the lion

जम्बुकेनby a jackal

इवlike, as

घातयामःlet us cause to be killed / let us kill (by causing)

शिखण्डिनाby Shikhandin

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Śikhaṇḍin

wolf (vṛka)

lion (siṃha)

jackal (jambuka)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses animal imagery to warn that even the greatest can be defeated if left unprotected, and it frames an ethical concern: a heroic warrior should not be brought down through an ignoble or opportunistic means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya comments on the battlefield situation, likening Bhīṣma to a lion and Śikhaṇḍin to a jackal, urging that Bhīṣma should not be allowed to be killed through Śikhaṇḍin’s involvement—implying a tactical and moral objection to that mode of defeat.