Shloka 26
चेदिभिस्तु सपञ्चालै: सहितो वानरध्वज: । ययौ शान्तनवं भीष्म पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम्,वानरचिह्लित ध्वजासे विभूषित अर्जुनने चेदि तथा पांचालदेशके वीरोंके साथ शिखण्डीको आगे करके शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मपर चढ़ाई की
cedibhis tu sa-pañcālaiḥ sahito vānaradhvajaḥ | yayau śāntanavaṃ bhīṣmaṃ puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam ||
Sañjaya said: Accompanied by the Cedis and the Pañcālas, Arjuna—whose banner bore the emblem of a monkey—advanced against Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, placing Śikhaṇḍin in the forefront. The scene underscores a deliberate war-strategy shaped by moral memory: Bhīṣma’s vow-bound invincibility is met not by brute force alone but by a carefully chosen arrangement that exploits the limits he himself accepts.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, outcomes are shaped by dharma-bound constraints: Bhīṣma’s personal vows and ethical limits become decisive factors, so strategy must account not only for strength but for the moral commitments of the opponents.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, supported by the Cedi and Pañcāla forces, advances to attack Bhīṣma and deliberately places Śikhaṇḍin at the front—an arrangement intended to neutralize Bhīṣma’s resistance due to his stance toward Śikhaṇḍin.