Shloka 22

Devanagari script

शिखण्डिनं पुरस्कृत्य पाण्डवं च धनंजयम्‌ । भीष्मस्य पातने यत्नं परमं ते समास्थिता:,तब वे पाण्डव सैनिक दसवें दिन वैसा ही करनेकी प्रतिज्ञा करके ब्रह्मलोकको अपना लक्ष्य बनाकर क्रोधसे मूर्च्छित हो शिखण्डी तथा पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनको आगे करके आगे बढ़े और भीष्मको मार गिरानेका महान्‌ प्रयत्न करने लगे

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍinaṃ puraskṛtya pāṇḍavaṃ ca dhanañjayam | bhīṣmasya pātane yatnaṃ paramaṃ te samāsthitāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Placing Śikhaṇḍin in the forefront, and also the Pāṇḍava Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), they set themselves with utmost resolve to bring about Bhīṣma’s fall.

Word by Word

शिखण्डिनम्Shikhandin (as object/one put in front)

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front / having put forward

पाण्डवम्the Pandava (Arjuna)

चand

धनंजयम्Dhananjaya (Arjuna)

भीष्मस्यof Bhishma

पातनेin the bringing down / in the felling

यत्नम्effort

परमम्supreme / utmost

तेthey

समास्थिताःstood engaged / took up (were intent on)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śikhaṇḍin

Pāṇḍava

Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, action is shaped by acknowledged moral constraints and personal vows. The verse highlights how dharma in the Mahābhārata is often navigated through strategy: victory is pursued not by abandoning norms outright, but by working within the opponent’s ethical limits (Bhīṣma’s refusal to fight Śikhaṇḍin) while maintaining firm resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Pāṇḍava forces advance with a focused plan to bring down Bhīṣma. They place Śikhaṇḍin at the front and have Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) engage from behind/alongside, aiming to exploit Bhīṣma’s reluctance to strike Śikhaṇḍin and thereby create the opening for Bhīṣma’s defeat.