Shloka 1
अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal
अपन प्रात छा अ-काज जा (अम्बोपाख्यानपर्व) त्रिसप्तत्यधिकशततमो< ध्याय: अम्बोपाख्यानका आरम्भ--भीष्मजीके द्वारा काशिराजकी कन्याओंका अपहरण दुर्योधन उवाच किमर्थ भरतश्रेष्ठ नैव हनन्या: शिखण्डिनम् । उद्यतेषुमथो दृष्टवा समरेष्वाततायिनम्
duryodhana uvāca | kimarthaṁ bharataśreṣṭha naiva hanyāḥ śikhaṇḍinam | udyateṣum atho dṛṣṭvā samareṣv ātatāyinam ||
Duryodhana sprach: «Aus welchem Grund, o Bester der Bhāratas, würdest du Śikhaṇḍin nicht niederstrecken—da du ihn doch auf dem Schlachtfeld siehst, die Waffen erhoben, heranstürmend wie ein Angreifer, der zu töten entschlossen ist?»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic conflict: battlefield duty to neutralize an aggressor versus adherence to a personal vow and ethical restraint. It points to how vows, past actions, and moral commitments can constrain even a great warrior’s choices in war.
Duryodhana challenges Bhīṣma, asking why he would refrain from killing Śikhaṇḍin even if Śikhaṇḍin advances with raised weapons like a deadly attacker. This question leads into the Amba-upākhyāna background explaining Bhīṣma’s stance toward Śikhaṇḍin.