Shloka 65
Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)
नाहमेनं धनुष्पा्िं युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् । मुहूर्तमपि पश्येय॑ प्रहरेयं न चाप्युत,जब यह हाथमें धनुष लेकर युद्ध करनेकी इच्छासे मेरे सामने उपस्थित होगा, उस समय मुहूर्तभर भी न तो इसकी ओर देखूँगा और न इसपर प्रहार ही करूँगा
nāham enaṃ dhanuṣpāṇiṃ yuyutsuṃ samupasthitam | muhūrtam api paśyeyaṃ prahareyaṃ na cāpy uta ||
Bhishma said: “I will not even look at him for a moment, nor will I strike him, when he comes before me with bow in hand, eager to fight.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, ethical restraint can override the impulse to retaliate: Bhīṣma declares a deliberate refusal to engage—neither looking at nor striking—when a particular opponent approaches ready to fight, indicating a vow-bound or conscience-bound limit within kṣatriya conduct.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma states to others that if that person comes before him armed with a bow and intent on battle, he will not respond as a combatant—he will neither meet the gaze nor deliver a blow—signaling a specific exemption or pledge amid the coming conflict.