Shloka 6

Śikhaṇḍinī’s Marriage Arrangement and the Daśārṇa Envoy’s Accusation (शिखण्डिनी-विवाह-विप्रलम्भ-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

सम्बन्धकं चैव समर्थ्य तस्मिन्‌ दाशार्णके वै नृपतौ नरेन्द्र । स्वयं कृत्वा विप्रलम्भं॑ यथाव- न्मन्त्रैकाग्रो निश्चयं वै जगाम

Transliteration

sambandhakaṃ caiva samarthya tasmin dāśārṇake vai nṛpatau narendra | svayaṃ kṛtvā vipralambhaṃ yathāvan mantrāikāgro niścayaṃ vai jagāma, narendra ||

Translation

राजन्, उस दशार्ण-नरेश के साथ सम्बन्ध को दृढ़ और पुष्ट करने का निश्चय करके, यद्यपि उसने पहले स्वयं छल किया था, तथापि एकाग्रचित्त होकर मन्त्रणा करते-करते वह एक दृढ़ निर्णय पर पहुँच गया।

Word by Word

• {'sambandhakaṃ': 'relationship, alliance, connection', 'samarthya': 'having supported/strengthened

• having made workable', 'tasmin': 'in/with that (person/context)', 'dāśārṇake': 'in/with the Daśārṇa (king)

• pertaining to Daśārṇa', 'nṛpatau': 'in the king

• with the ruler', 'narendra': 'O lord of men

• O king (vocative)', 'svayam': 'himself', 'kṛtvā': 'having done', 'vipralambham': 'deception, cheating, betrayal, trickery', 'yathāvat': 'properly, as it should be, in due manner', 'mantrāikāgraḥ': 'single-pointed in counsel

• focused in deliberation', 'niścayam': 'a firm resolve, decision, determination', 'jagāma': 'went to

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Daśārṇa (kingdom/region)
• Daśārṇa-nṛpati (the Daśārṇa king)
• Drupada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical tension between past wrongdoing and present political necessity: even after committing deception, a ruler may seek to stabilize alliances through focused counsel and firm resolve—inviting reflection on how dharma, expediency, and accountability interact in royal decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a king who, aiming to preserve affection and ties with the Daśārṇa ruler, deliberates intently and reaches a definite decision, despite the background fact that he had earlier deceived King Drupada.