Shloka 636
ततः समाहरद् भीष्मस्तदस्त्रं पावकोपमम् | उस समय कवचधारी शिखण्डीने युद्धके लिये आगे बढ़ते हुए भीष्मपर आक्रमण किया। शिखण्डीको सामने देख भीष्मने अपने अग्निके समान तेजस्वी उस दिव्यास्त्रको समेट लिया
tataḥ samāharad bhīṣmas tad astraṃ pāvakopamam |
Sañjaya said: “Then Bhīṣma withdrew and restrained that divine weapon, blazing like fire. Seeing Śikhaṇḍin advancing in armor to strike him, Bhīṣma chose to hold back his fiery missile—an act shaped not merely by tactics, but by his vow-bound sense of propriety amid the brutal demands of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, power is not the highest value; restraint guided by dharma and personal vows can govern action. Bhīṣma’s withdrawal of a fire-like weapon signals an ethical boundary he will not cross, despite battlefield pressure.
Śikhaṇḍin advances to attack Bhīṣma. In response, Bhīṣma gathers back/withholds a blazing divine missile instead of releasing it, indicating deliberate restraint upon seeing Śikhaṇḍin.