Shloka 26
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Marriage Arrangement and the Daśārṇa Envoy’s Accusation (शिखण्डिनी-विवाह-विप्रलम्भ-प्रसङ्गः)
तत:ः शिखण्डी तत् सर्वमखिलेन न्यवेदयत् | तस्मै यक्षप्रधानाय स्थूणाकर्णाय भारत,भरतनन्दन! तब शिखण्डिनीने उस यक्षप्रवर स्थूणाकर्णसे अपना सारा वृत्तान्त विस्तारपूर्वक बताया
tataḥ śikhaṇḍī tat sarvam akhilena nyavedayat | tasmai yakṣapradhānāya sthūṇākarṇāya bhārata bharatanandana ||
Bhīṣma said: Then Śikhaṇḍī related the entire matter in full detail to that foremost of Yakṣas, Sthūṇākarṇa—O Bhārata, O joy of the Bharata race.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic value of complete and truthful disclosure when seeking aid or judgment. By narrating the matter fully to a powerful being, the speaker models restraint and reliance on proper counsel rather than impulsive retaliation.
Bhīṣma narrates that Śikhaṇḍī (Śikhaṇḍinī in the backstory) approached the Yakṣa leader Sthūṇākarṇa and recounted the entire situation in detail, setting up the subsequent intervention connected with Śikhaṇḍī’s transformation and role in later events.