Shloka 23
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
शिखण्डी तु ततः पश्चादर्जुनेनाभिरक्षित: । यत्तो भीष्मविनाशाय प्रययौ भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ] इन सबके पीछे अर्जुनद्वारा सुरक्षित शिखण्डी भीष्मका विनाश करनेके लिये उद्यत हो आगे बढ़ रहा था
śikhaṇḍī tu tataḥ paścād arjunena abhirakṣitaḥ | yatto bhīṣma-vināśāya prayayau bharatarṣabha ||
Sañjaya said: Then, behind them, Śikhaṇḍī—protected by Arjuna—advanced with firm resolve, intent on bringing about Bhīṣma’s downfall, O bull among the Bharatas. The scene underscores a deliberate war-strategy shaped by prior vows and moral constraints: Bhīṣma’s personal code affects how he will fight, and the opposing side exploits that limitation to achieve a decisive end.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how personal dharma and vows shape outcomes even in war: Bhishma’s ethical constraints influence his responses, and opponents act strategically within (and against) those constraints. It raises the tension between righteous conduct and tactical necessity in a morally complex conflict.
Sanjaya reports that Shikhandi advances toward Bhishma with the specific aim of causing Bhishma’s fall, while Arjuna protects Shikhandi from attack. This sets up the battlefield arrangement that will enable Bhishma to be brought down.