Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तत: शिखण्डी वेगेन प्रगृह् परमायुधम्‌ । भीष्ममेवाभिदुद्राव रक्ष्यमाण: किरीटिना,तब शिखण्डी अपने उत्तम अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंको लेकर बड़े वेगसे भीष्मकी ही ओर दौड़ा। उस समय किरीटधारी अर्जुन उसकी रक्षा कर रहे थे

Transliteration

tataḥ śikhaṇḍī vegena pragṛhya paramāyudham | bhīṣmam evābhidudrāva rakṣyamāṇaḥ kirīṭinā ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors Śikhaṇḍī, saisissant ses armes suprêmes, se rua à grande vitesse droit sur Bhīṣma. Tandis qu’il avançait, Arjuna, le front ceint du diadème (Kirīṭin), le protégeait—afin que l’assaut contre le vénérable aïeul se déroule sous garde, image du rude calcul moral de la guerre où stratégie et devoir s’entrelacent.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

शिखण्डीShikhaṇḍī

वेगेनwith speed, swiftly

प्रगृह्यhaving taken up, seizing

परमsupreme, excellent

आयुधम्weapon

भीष्मम्Bhīṣma

एवindeed, only, just

अभिदुद्रावran towards, rushed at

रक्ष्यमाणःbeing protected

किरीटिनाby the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śikhaṇḍī

Bhīṣma

Arjuna (Kirīṭin)

weapons (āyudha)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between dharma and battlefield necessity: even revered elders like Bhīṣma are confronted through careful strategy, and a warrior’s duty is carried out with protection and coordination rather than mere personal valor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śikhaṇḍī charges directly at Bhīṣma with powerful weapons, while Arjuna (the diadem-crowned) protects Śikhaṇḍī, enabling the focused attack on Bhīṣma during the Kurukṣetra battle.