Shloka 2
अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal
पूर्वमुक्त्वा महाबाहो पठचालान् सह सोमकै: । हनिष्यामीति गाड़्ेय तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह,महाबाहु गंगानन्दन! पितामह! आप पहले तो यह कह चुके हैं कि “मैं सोमकोंसहित पंचालोंका वध करूँगा” (फिर आप शिखण्डीको छोड़ क्यों रहे हैं?) यह मुझे बताइये
pūrvam uktvā mahābāho pañcālān saha somakaiḥ | haniṣyāmīti gāṅgeya tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Duryodhana said: “O mighty-armed one, O Gāṅgeya, Grandfather—earlier you declared, ‘I shall slay the Pāñcālas together with the Somakas.’ Then why do you now refrain (in this resolve) with regard to Śikhaṇḍin? Tell me this.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between martial vows and moral restraints: even in war, a warrior’s conduct is bounded by personal dharma and codes of honor. Duryodhana presses for consistency in Bhīṣma’s vow, while the subtext points to Bhīṣma’s principled refusal to treat Śikhaṇḍin as a legitimate target.
Duryodhana addresses Bhīṣma, reminding him of his earlier declaration to kill the Pāñcālas and their allies (Somakas). He challenges Bhīṣma’s apparent exception regarding Śikhaṇḍin and asks him to explain why he is holding back in that specific case.