Shloka 29
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता
शिखण्डिनं समासाद्य भरतानां पितामह: । अवर्जयत संग्राम॑ स्त्रीत्वं तस्यानुसंस्मरन्,भरतकुलके पितामह भीष्मने शिखण्डीके सामने पहुँचकर उसके स्त्रीत्वका बारंबार स्मरण करते हुए युद्ध बंद कर दिया
śikhaṇḍinaṃ samāsādya bharatānāṃ pitāmahaḥ | avarjayata saṅgrāmaṃ strītvaṃ tasyānusaṃsmaran ||
Sañjaya said: When the grandsire of the Bharatas (Bhīṣma) came face to face with Śikhaṇḍin, he refrained from fighting, repeatedly recalling that Śikhaṇḍin was (born as) a woman. In the midst of war, Bhīṣma’s restraint reflects his personal code of honor: he will not direct his weapons against one whom he regards as female, even at the cost of tactical disadvantage.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a just or unavoidable war, personal dharma can impose limits on violence. Bhīṣma’s refusal to engage Śikhaṇḍin shows adherence to a self-imposed ethical boundary—he will not fight someone he regards as female—highlighting how vows and honor-codes shape conduct amid conflict.
On the battlefield, Bhīṣma encounters Śikhaṇḍin directly. Remembering Śikhaṇḍin’s earlier female identity, Bhīṣma deliberately ceases or avoids combat against him, creating an opening that others can exploit in the larger Kurukṣetra struggle.