Shloka 22
भीष्मरक्षण-प्रकरणम् / The Protective Screen around Bhīṣma and the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Clash
तमहं न हनिष्यामि प्राणत्यागेडपि भारत । यासौ प्राड्निर्मिता धात्रा सैषा वै स्त्री शिखण्डिनी
tam ahaṃ na haniṣyāmi prāṇatyāge 'pi bhārata | yā sā prāg nirmītā dhātrā saiṣā vai strī śikhaṇḍinī ||
भारत! प्राणों का त्याग करना पड़े तो भी मैं उसे नहीं मारूँगा; जिसे विधाता ने पहले स्त्री बनाया था, वह मेरी दृष्टि में आज भी शिखण्डिनी ही है।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s ethical restraint: even amid mortal danger, one should not violate a fundamental moral boundary (here, Bhīṣma’s refusal to strike someone he regards as a woman), showing how personal dharma can limit actions in war.
In Sañjaya’s report of the battlefield events, Bhīṣma declares that he will not kill Śikhaṇḍi, because Śikhaṇḍi was originally created as a woman (Śikhaṇḍinī) by the Creator; this refusal becomes a key factor enabling the Pāṇḍavas to confront and ultimately bring down Bhīṣma.