Shloka 13
Śikhaṇḍī-janma-nigūḍha-vṛtta (The concealed birth-account of Śikhaṇḍī) | शिखण्डी-जन्म-निगूढ-वृत्त
भयेन महता<5<विष्टो हृदि शोकेन चाहत: । पाज्चालराजो दयितां मातरं वै शिखण्डिन:
bhayena mahatāviṣṭo hṛdi śokena cāhataḥ | pāñcālarājo dayitāṃ mātaraṃ vai śikhaṇḍinaḥ ||
ビーシュマは言った。大いなる恐怖が胸を満たし、悲しみに打ちのめされたパンチャーラ王は、愛する妃—シカンディンの母—に向かって、かく語った……。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how powerful emotions—fear and grief—can dominate a ruler’s mind and precipitate consequential choices. Ethically, it cautions that decisions about duty, family, and political action should not be driven primarily by panic or sorrow, since such states can cloud discernment (viveka) and lead to long-term repercussions.
Bhīṣma narrates that the king of Pāñcāla, overwhelmed by fear and afflicted by grief, turns to his beloved wife, who is identified as Śikhaṇḍin’s mother. This sets up the ensuing dialogue and actions connected with Śikhaṇḍin’s situation and its later significance in the Kurukṣetra conflict.