Shloka 20
मा वो भीष्माद् भयं किज्चिदस्त्वद्य युधि सूंजया: । ध्रुवं भीष्म विजेष्याम: पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम्,“सूृंजय वीरो! आज तुम युद्धमें भीष्मजीसे तनिक भी भय न करो। हम शिखण्डीको आगे करके भीष्मपर अवश्य ही विजय पायेंगे”
mā vo bhīṣmād bhayaṁ kiñcid astv adya yudhi sṛñjayāḥ | dhruvaṁ bhīṣmaṁ vijeṣyāmaḥ puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam ||
Sañjaya said: “O Sṛñjayas, let there be no fear of Bhīṣma for you today in battle. With Śikhaṇḍin placed in the forefront, we shall surely overcome Bhīṣma.” In the ethical tension of the war, the line underscores how strategy exploits a known vulnerability of a mighty yet dharma-bound warrior, turning moral restraint into a tactical opening.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Courage in duty is strengthened by clear resolve and intelligent planning; even an invincible warrior can be checked when he is bound by dharma-based restraints, showing how ethical commitments shape outcomes in war.
Sañjaya reports an assurance to the Sṛñjaya warriors that they need not fear Bhīṣma that day, because the plan is to place Śikhaṇḍin at the front—leveraging Bhīṣma’s refusal to fight Śikhaṇḍin—to secure victory over him.