Shloka 80
ऋते पाण्डुसुतं वीर श्वेताश्वं कृष्णसारथिम् । शिखण्डिनं च समरे पाज्चाल्यममितौजसम्
sañjaya uvāca |
ṛte pāṇḍusutaṃ vīra śvetāśvaṃ kṛṣṇasārathim |
śikhaṇḍinaṃ ca samare pāñcālyam amitaujasam ||
Sañjaya said: Except for the heroic son of Pāṇḍu—Arjuna—whose chariot was driven by Kṛṣṇa and yoked with white horses, and except for Śikhaṇḍin, the Pāñcāla prince of immeasurable prowess, there was no other great warrior who dared to advance before Bhīṣma on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, outcomes are shaped not only by strength but by dharma-bound constraints and deliberate strategy: Bhīṣma’s near-invincibility is countered through the presence of Śikhaṇḍin (whom Bhīṣma will not fight) and Arjuna guided by Kṛṣṇa, showing how ethical vows and tactical insight determine who can confront overwhelming power.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma’s dominance is so great that no warrior dares face him directly, except Arjuna—driven by Kṛṣṇa with white horses on his chariot—and Śikhaṇḍin, the powerful Pāñcāla prince, whose role is pivotal in enabling the confrontation with Bhīṣma.