Shloka 1
Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance
[दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ७ ६ “लोक मिलाकर कुल ११४ ६ “लोक हैं।] #<०3८६>> | ब । बी जम अष्टाधिकशततमोब<् ध्याय: दसवें दिन उभयपक्षकी सेनाका रणके लिये प्रस्थान तथा भीष्म और शिखण्डीका समागम 4 शिखण्डीको भीष्मका वध करनेके लिये करना धृतराष्ट उवाच कथं शिखण्डी गाड्रेयमभ्यवर्तत संयुगे । पाण्डवांक्ष कथं भीष्मस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! शिखण्डीने युद्धमें गंगानन्दन भीष्मपर किस प्रकार आक्रमण किया और भीष्मने भी पाण्डवॉपर किस तरह चढ़ाई की? यह सब मुझे बताओ
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | kathaṁ śikhaṇḍī gāṅgeyam abhyavartata saṁyuge | pāṇḍavāṁś ca kathaṁ bhīṣmas tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Tell me, Sañjaya—how did Śikhaṇḍī advance against Bhīṣma, the son of the Gaṅgā, in the thick of battle? And how did Bhīṣma in turn press his attack upon the Pāṇḍavas? Describe it all to me.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic and ethical tension within warfare: the king seeks a precise account of how a pivotal confrontation unfolds, highlighting that actions in battle are not merely tactical but morally charged—especially when renowned elders like Bhīṣma face complex opponents such as Śikhaṇḍī.
At the opening of this chapter, Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about the tenth day’s crucial engagement: how Śikhaṇḍī moved to confront Bhīṣma on the battlefield, and how Bhīṣma counterattacked the Pāṇḍava forces.