Shloka 51
शिखण्डिनं पुरस्कृत्य धनुश्वास्य समाच्छिनत् । तत्पश्चात् क्रोधमें भरे हुए अर्जुन शिखण्डीको आगे रखकर पुन: भीष्मकी ही ओर बढ़े। उन्होंने भीष्मजीके धनुषको काट दिया ।।
sañjaya uvāca | śikhaṇḍinaṃ puraskṛtya dhanuḥ śvāsya samācchinat | athainaṃ navabhir viddhvā dhvajam ekena cicchide ||
サञ्जयは言った。「シカンディンを前に立て、アルジュナは弓を引き絞ってビーシュマの弓を断ち切った。さらに九本の矢でビーシュマを射抜き、ただ一本の矢でその旗標を切り落とした。戦の苛烈な策に従い、シカンディンを盾として用いながら、攻めをいよいよ押し進めたのである。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between dharma and battlefield necessity: even great warriors may resort to tactical arrangements (placing Śikhaṇḍin forward) to overcome an otherwise invincible opponent, showing how war pressures ethical ideals and forces hard choices within the kṣatriya code.
Sañjaya narrates Arjuna advancing toward Bhīṣma with Śikhaṇḍin positioned in front, then cutting Bhīṣma’s bow, piercing him with nine arrows, and finally severing his banner with a single arrow—signaling Bhīṣma’s weakening and the turning of the battle.