Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 54
ततस्तस्य च तेषां च युद्धे देवासुरोपमे । किरीटी भीष्ममागच्छत् पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम्
tatas tasya ca teṣāṁ ca yuddhe devāsuropame | kirīṭī bhīṣmam āgacchat puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam ||
Entonces, mientras la batalla entre él y aquellos guerreros se encendía—terrible como las guerras legendarias entre dioses y asuras—Arjuna, el de la diadema, avanzó hacia Bhīṣma poniendo a Śikhaṇḍin al frente. La escena subraya la sombría ética de la guerra: la estrategia no se forja solo con fuerza, sino también con votos, reputaciones y las restricciones morales que los guerreros reconocen aun en medio de la matanza.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, action is constrained by dharma-like commitments and personal vows; strategy often exploits acknowledged ethical limits (here, Bhishma’s reluctance to fight Shikhandi), showing how moral reputation can shape outcomes as much as force.
Sanjaya describes the battle becoming as fierce as a gods-versus-demons war. At that moment Arjuna advances toward Bhishma, deliberately placing Shikhandi at the front, a tactical move aimed at neutralizing Bhishma’s resistance and enabling Arjuna to press the attack.
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