Shloka 3
भीष्म उवाच शृणु दुर्योधन कथां सहैभिवसुधाधिपै: । यदर्थ युधि सम्प्रेक्ष्य नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम्,भीष्मजीने कहा--दुर्योधन! मैं जिस कारणसे समरांगणमें प्रहार करते देखकर भी शिखण्डीको नहीं मारुँगा, उसकी कथा कहता हूँ, इन भूमिपालोंके साथ सुनो
bhīṣma uvāca: śṛṇu duryodhana kathāṃ saha ebhir vasudhādhipaiḥ | yadarthaṃ yudhi samprekṣya nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ದುರ್ಯೋಧನ! ಈ ಭೂಪಾಲಕರೊಡನೆ ಕೇಳು. ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಿಖಂಡಿ ಪ್ರಹಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡರೂ ನಾನು ಅವನನ್ನು ಏಕೆ ಸಂಹರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಕಾರಣವನ್ನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames battlefield action within dharma: even in war, a warrior may restrain himself due to prior ethical commitments and the accepted rules of combat, explaining that victory is not pursued at the cost of violating one’s vowed principles.
In the Udyoga Parva, Bhishma addresses Duryodhana before the great war, announcing that he will explain—before Duryodhana and the assembled kings—the specific reason he will not kill Shikhandin even if Shikhandin attacks him in battle.