Shloka 106
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत भीष्मपर्वके अन्तर्गत भीष्मवधपर्वमें नवें दिनके युद्धका समाप्तिविषयक एक सौ छठा अध्याय पूरा हुआ,श्रुतं हि कुरुमुख्यस्य नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम् । कन्या होषा पुरा भूत्वा पुरुष: समपद्यत कुरुकुलके प्रधान वीर भीष्मका यह निश्चय है कि मैं शिखण्डीको नहीं मारूँगा; क्योंकि वह पहले कन्यारूपमें उत्पन्न होकर पीछे पुरुष हुआ है
śrutaṃ hi kurumukhyasya nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam | kanyā hy eṣā purā bhūtvā puruṣaḥ samapadyata ||
Sañjaya said: “I have heard the resolve of Bhīṣma, the foremost of the Kurus: ‘I will not strike down Śikhaṇḍin. For this one was formerly born as a maiden and later became a man.’” In the ethical frame of the war, Bhīṣma’s vow reflects his chivalric restraint—refusing to kill one he regards as essentially female by birth—revealing how personal dharma and battlefield necessity can collide.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, personal dharma and vows can impose limits on violence. Bhīṣma’s refusal to kill Śikhaṇḍin shows a chivalric ethic: he will not strike one he considers, by birth, a woman—highlighting how moral restraint can shape (and be exploited within) battlefield outcomes.
Sañjaya reports Bhīṣma’s declared resolve during the Kurukṣetra war: he will not kill Śikhaṇḍin because Śikhaṇḍin was formerly born as a maiden and later became male. This stance becomes strategically significant in the events leading to Bhīṣma’s fall.