Shloka 37
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
भीष्ममप्रतियुद्धयन्तं शिखण्डी सायकोत्तमै: । पातयामास समरे सर्वशस्त्रभूृतां वरम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
bhīṣmam apratiyuddhayantaṁ śikhaṇḍī sāyakottamaiḥ |
pātayāmāsa samare sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varam ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。あらゆる武器を執る者の中で最勝なるビーシュマが、戦において抗わずにいたとき、シカンディーは最上の矢をもって彼を射、戦場に倒れさせた。この挿話は戦の道徳的緊張を浮かび上がらせる――勝利は戦術上の利によって追い求められ、たとえ相手の自制（ここでは、ビーシュマがシカンディーと戦うことを拒んだこと）が倫理的に重い非対称を生み出していても、なおそうなのである。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain within dharma-yuddha: even a supremely righteous warrior like Bhīṣma may refuse to fight under certain moral constraints, and opponents may still exploit that restraint for strategic success—raising questions about fairness, duty, and the costs of victory.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śikhaṇḍī, using excellent arrows, brings down Bhīṣma on the battlefield at a moment when Bhīṣma is not fighting back, emphasizing Bhīṣma’s non-resistance toward Śikhaṇḍī and the resulting tactical outcome.