Shloka 31
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता
शिखण्डी तु समासाद्य द्रोणं शस्त्रभूृतां वरम् । अवर्जयत संत्रस्तो युगान्ताग्निमिवोल्बणम्,शिखण्डी प्रलयकालकी प्रचण्ड अग्निके समान शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणका सामना पड़नेपर भयभीत हो युद्ध छोड़कर चल दिया
śikhaṇḍī tu samāsādya droṇaṁ śastrabhṛtāṁ varam | avarjayat saṁtrasto yugāntāgnim ivolbaṇam ||
Sañjaya said: When Śikhaṇḍī came face to face with Droṇa—the foremost among weapon-bearers—he, struck with fear, turned away from him, as one would recoil from a blazing fire at the end of an age. The verse underscores how even seasoned warriors may falter before overwhelming prowess, and how fear can momentarily override martial duty amid the moral pressure of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychological reality of battle: fear can overwhelm even a warrior’s resolve when confronted with extraordinary power. Ethically, it points to the strain between one’s role-duty (kṣatriya-dharma) and the human impulse to preserve oneself amid catastrophic danger.
Sañjaya describes Śikhaṇḍī encountering Droṇa on the battlefield. Seeing Droṇa’s formidable presence, Śikhaṇḍī becomes frightened and avoids or withdraws from direct engagement, compared to recoiling from the terrifying cosmic fire of the world’s end.