Shloka 22

भीष्मरक्षण-प्रकरणम् / The Protective Screen around Bhīṣma and the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Clash

Devanagari script

तमहं न हनिष्यामि प्राणत्यागेडपि भारत । यासौ प्राड्निर्मिता धात्रा सैषा वै स्त्री शिखण्डिनी,“भारत! मेरे प्राणोंपर संकट आ जाय तो भी मैं उसे नहीं मारूँगा। जिसे विधाताने पहले स्त्री बनाया था, वह शिखण्डिनी आज भी मेरी दृष्टिमें स्त्री ही है

Transliteration

tam ahaṃ na haniṣyāmi prāṇatyāge 'pi bhārata | yā sā prāg nirmītā dhātrā saiṣā vai strī śikhaṇḍinī ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, even if it should cost me my very life, I will not strike him. For the one whom the Creator fashioned earlier as a woman—Śikhaṇḍinī—remains, in my judgment, a woman still.”

Word by Word

तम्him/that one

अहम्I

नnot

हनिष्यामिI will kill

प्राण-त्यागेin (the situation of) giving up life / at the loss of life

अपिeven/also

भारतO Bhārata

याwho/which

असौthat (woman/person there)

प्राक्-निर्मिताpreviously created

धात्राby the creator/ordainer

साshe

एषाthis (same one)

वैindeed

स्त्रीa woman

शिखण्डिनीŚikhaṇḍinī

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

Dhātṛ (the Creator)

Śikhaṇḍinī/Śikhaṇḍi

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes