Shloka 6
Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)
शिखण्डिन्युवाच प्रतिदास्यामि भगवन् पुल्लिज्7ं तव सुब्रत । किज्वचित्कालान्तरं स्त्रीत्वं धारयस्व निशाचर,शिखण्डिनी बोली--भगवन्! तुम्हारा यह पुरुषत्व मैं समयपर लौटा दूँगी। निशाचर! तुम कुछ ही समयके लिये मेरा स्त्रीत्व धारण कर लो
śikhaṇḍiny uvāca pratīdāsyāmi bhagavan pulliṅgaṃ tava suvrata | kiñcit kālāntaraṃ strītvaṃ dhārayasva niśācara ||
शिखण्डिनी बोली—भगवन्, सुब्रत! मैं समय आने पर तुम्हारा पुरुषत्व लौटा दूँगी। हे निशाचर! तुम कुछ ही समय के लिए मेरा स्त्रीत्व धारण कर लो।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of a vow-bound promise: even in extraordinary circumstances (a proposed exchange of gendered identity), the act is framed as reciprocal, time-limited, and anchored in commitment. It highlights how dharma is negotiated when personal truth, social order, and urgent necessity come into tension.
Shikhaṇḍinī addresses a niśācara, requesting that he temporarily take on her womanhood while she takes his manhood, assuring him that she will return his masculinity at the appropriate time. The proposal functions as a narrative mechanism to resolve a predicament tied to gender, marriage, and public recognition.