Shloka 3
अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal
भीष्म उवाच शृणु दुर्योधन कथां सहैभिवसुधाधिपै: । यदर्थ युधि सम्प्रेक्ष्य नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम्
bhīṣma uvāca: śṛṇu duryodhana kathāṃ saha ebhir vasudhādhipaiḥ | yadarthaṃ yudhi samprekṣya nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam ||
Bhīṣma sprach: «Höre, Duryodhana, zusammen mit diesen Königen. Ich werde dir den Grund nennen, weshalb ich Śikhaṇḍin nicht töten werde, selbst wenn ich ihn mitten in der Schlacht zuschlagen sehe.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames battlefield action within dharma: even in war, a warrior may restrain himself due to prior ethical commitments and the accepted rules of combat, explaining that victory is not pursued at the cost of violating one’s vowed principles.
In the Udyoga Parva, Bhishma addresses Duryodhana before the great war, announcing that he will explain—before Duryodhana and the assembled kings—the specific reason he will not kill Shikhandin even if Shikhandin attacks him in battle.