Shloka 21
भीष्मरक्षण-प्रकरणम् / The Protective Screen around Bhīṣma and the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Clash
पूर्व हि स्त्री समुत्पन्ना शिखण्डी राजवेश्मनि । वरदानात् पुमाञ्जात: सैषा वै स्त्री शिखण्डिनी
pūrva hi strī samutpannā śikhaṇḍī rājaveśmani | varadānāt pumāñ jātaḥ saiṣā vai strī śikhaṇḍinī ||
Sañjaya said: “Formerly, Śikhaṇḍī was born in the royal palace as a woman. Later, by the power of a boon, he became a man. Therefore, in my judgment, this is still Śikhaṇḍinī—female in origin.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how social-ethical judgments in the epic can hinge on origin, identity, and perception. Sañjaya frames Śikhaṇḍī’s legitimacy in battle through the fact of female birth, implying an ethical tension: outward role may change by boon, yet moral evaluation may still be anchored in prior status.
Sañjaya explains to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍī was originally born as a woman in the royal household and later became male through a boon. This clarification supports the surrounding war narrative where Śikhaṇḍī’s presence is crucial to how Bhīṣma is confronted, since Bhīṣma is traditionally described as unwilling to fight a woman.