Shloka 21
इसी प्रकार शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म जब हथियार डालकर अस्त्रहीन हो गये, उस अवस्थामें शिखण्डीको आगे करके गाण्डीवधारी धनंजयने उनका वध किया था
evaṃvidhe śāntanunandane bhīṣme yuddhāyudhāni nikṣipya astravihīne jāte tasmin avasthāyāṃ śikhaṇḍinaṃ puraskṛtya gāṇḍīvadhārī dhanañjayo 'sya vadham akarot.
“In the same way, when Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, laid down his weapons and became unarmed, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), bearer of the Gāṇḍīva, placing Śikhaṇḍī in front, brought about his slaying. The episode is recalled to underline how, in war, strategy and vows can override ordinary expectations of fair combat, raising a sharp ethical tension between duty to win and the ideal of fighting an armed opponent.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical strain in dharma-yuddha: victory may be pursued through permissible strategy, yet the act of striking an unarmed foe (even when justified by context and vows) remains morally charged, inviting reflection on duty, intention, and the tragic compromises of war.
Kṛpa recalls the earlier battlefield event: Bhīṣma, having laid down his weapons and become unarmed, was brought down when Arjuna shot while keeping Śikhaṇḍī in front—since Bhīṣma would not fight Śikhaṇḍī—thus enabling Bhīṣma’s fall.