Shloka 41

Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)

Devanagari script

अग्रहील्लक्षणं स्त्रीणां स्त्रीभूतो तिछ्ठते गृहे । नोपसर्पति तेनासौ सव्रीड: स्त्रीसरूपवान्‌

Transliteration

agrahīl lakṣaṇaṃ strīṇāṃ strī-bhūto tiṣṭhate gṛhe | nopasarpati tenāsau savrīḍaḥ strī-sarūpavān ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “അവൻ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ലക്ഷണങ്ങൾ സ്വീകരിച്ചു; സ്ത്രീഭാവം കൈക്കൊണ്ട് വീട്ടിൽ തന്നെയിരിക്കുന്നു. അതുകൊണ്ട് ലജ്ജിച്ച്, സ്ത്രീസദൃശ രൂപത്തോടെ, അവൻ എനിക്ക് സമീപം വരുന്നില്ല.”

Word by Word

अग्रहीत्seized, took up

लक्षणम्mark, characteristic

स्त्रीणाम्of women

स्त्रीभूतःhaving become like a woman / woman-like

तिष्ठतेstands, stays

गृहेin the house

नnot

उपसर्पतिapproaches, comes near

तेनby him/it; therefore

असौthat man (he there)

सव्रीडःbashful, modest

स्त्रीसरूपवान्having a form like a woman

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma frames withdrawal from public duty as a moral and social failing: adopting a domestic, feminized role is presented as a sign of shame and loss of honor, implying that one should face responsibilities openly rather than retreating out of embarrassment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s speech during the Udyoga Parva, he characterizes a certain person as having taken on ‘women’s marks’ and staying inside the home; because of this state and shame, the person does not come forward or engage in the expected public sphere of action.