Shloka 2
इष्वस्त्रै चैव राजेन्द्र द्रोणशिष्यो बभूव ह । तस्य माता महाराज राजानं वरवर्णिनी,राजेन्द्र! धनुर्विद्याके लिये शिखण्डी द्रोणाचार्यका शिष्य हुआ। महाराज! शिखण्डीकी सुन्दरी माताने राजा द्रुपदको प्रेरित किया कि वे उसके पुत्रके लिये बहू ला दें। वह अपनी कन्याका पुत्रके समान ब्याह करना चाहती थी। ट्रुपदने देखा, मेरी बेटी जवान हो गयी तो भी अबतक स्त्री ही बनी हुई है (वरदानके अनुसार पुरुष नहीं हो सकी), इससे पत्नीसहित उनके मनमें बड़ी चिन्ता हुई
iṣv-astraiś caiva rājendra droṇaśiṣyo babhūva ha | tasya mātā mahārāja rājānaṃ varavarṇinī ||
Bhishma said: “O king, Śikhaṇḍin indeed became a disciple of Droṇa in the use of arrows and weapons. And his mother—an illustrious lady—urged King Drupada to procure a bride for her child, for she wished the marriage to be arranged as for a son. Yet Drupada saw that, though the child had come of age, the form remained female according to the boon and had not become male; thus he and the queen were seized by grave anxiety.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic weight of preparation and social duty: martial competence is acquired through disciplined discipleship (Śikhaṇḍin training under Droṇa), while royal households also feel compelled to secure socially recognized status through marriage arrangements—showing how personal identity, duty, and public order intersect in epic ethics.
Bhīṣma narrates that Śikhaṇḍin trained under Droṇa in weapons. Then Śikhaṇḍin’s mother urges the king (contextually Drupada) to bring a bride for her child, seeking a marriage arranged as for a son—setting up the later complications around Śikhaṇḍin’s identity and the political consequences.