Shloka 19
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Marriage Arrangement and the Daśārṇa Envoy’s Accusation (शिखण्डिनी-विवाह-विप्रलम्भ-प्रसङ्गः)
एवं सा निश्चयं कृत्वा भूशं शोकपरायणा । निर्जगाम गृहं त्यक्त्वा गहनं निर्जनं वनम्,इस प्रकार जीवनका अन्त कर देनेका निश्चय करके वह अत्यन्त शोकमग्न हो घर छोड़कर निर्जन एवं गहन वनमें चली गयी
evaṃ sā niścayaṃ kṛtvā bhṛśaṃ śokaparāyaṇā | nirjagāma gṛhaṃ tyaktvā gahanaṃ nirjanaṃ vanam ||
ഇങ്ങനെ ജീവത്യാഗത്തിനുള്ള ദൃഢനിശ്ചയം എടുത്ത്, അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖത്തിൽ മുങ്ങി, അവൾ വീട് വിട്ട് ഗഹനവും നിർജനവുമായ വനത്തിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral danger of grief when it becomes all-consuming: it can push one toward abandoning responsibilities and even choosing self-destruction. Implicitly, it invites reflection on dharma as steadiness and life-preserving restraint in the face of suffering.
A woman, overwhelmed by sorrow, makes a firm decision to end her life. Acting on that resolve, she leaves her home and goes into a deep, deserted forest—signaling a decisive, tragic turn in the story being narrated by Bhishma.