Shloka 7
Śikhaṇḍī-janma-nigūḍha-vṛtta (The concealed birth-account of Śikhaṇḍī) | शिखण्डी-जन्म-निगूढ-वृत्त
तत्र वै निश्चितं तेषाम भूद् राज्ञां महात्मनाम् | तथ्यं भवति चेदेतत् कन्या राजन् शिखण्डिनी
tatra vai niścitaṃ teṣāṃ bhūd rājñāṃ mahātmanām | tathyaṃ bhavati ced etat kanyā rājan śikhaṇḍinī ||
Bhishma said: “There, among those great-souled kings, a firm resolve was formed: ‘O King, if this is indeed proven true—that Shikhandini is in fact a maiden (and not a son)—then we shall seize the king of Panchala, bring him under our control, install another ruler over Panchala, and put Drupada to death along with Shikhandi.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political alliances can frame ‘truth’ as a pretext for coercive action. It raises ethical tension between proclaimed righteousness and expedient violence—showing how dharma becomes contested when honor, suspicion, and power dominate decision-making.
Bhishma reports a collective decision among certain kings: if it is verified that Shikhandini is actually a maiden, they will act against Panchala—capturing its king, replacing the ruler, and killing Drupada together with Shikhandini.