Shloka 16

Śikhaṇḍī-janma-nigūḍha-vṛtta (The concealed birth-account of Śikhaṇḍī) | शिखण्डी-जन्म-निगूढ-वृत्त

Devanagari script

इति संचिन्त्य यत्नेन समित्र: सबलानुग: । वज्चितो<स्मीति मन्वानो मां किलोद्धर्तुमिच्छति,“यह सोचकर वे ऐसा मानने लगे हैं कि मेरे साथ धोखा किया गया है और इसलिये वे अपने मित्रों, सैनिकों तथा सेवकोंसहित आकर मुझे यत्नपूर्वक उखाड़ फेंकना चाहते हैं। सुश्रोणि! यहाँ क्या सच है और क्या झूठ? शोभने! इस बातको तुम्हीं बताओ। तुम्हारे मुखसे निकले हुए शुभ वचनको सुनकर मैं वैसा ही करूँगा

Transliteration

iti sañcintya yatnena samitraḥ sabalānugaḥ | vañcito 'smīti manvāno māṃ kiloddhartum icchati |

Translation

असा यत्नपूर्वक विचार करून, मित्रांसह आणि सैन्याच्या अनुगामी जनांसह, तो ‘माझी फसवणूक झाली’ असे मानून मला उखडून टाकण्यासाठी येऊ इच्छितो.

Word by Word

इतिthus

संचिन्त्यhaving reflected

यत्नेनwith effort

समित्रःtogether with (his) friends

सबलानुगःhaving followers along with (his) forces

वञ्चितःdeceived

अस्मिI am

इतिthus

मन्वानःthinking, supposing

माम्me

किलindeed, as is said

उद्धर्तुम्to uproot, to remove

इच्छतिwishes, desires

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

an unnamed male (the one who thinks he has been deceived)

an addressed woman: suśroṇī/śobhanā (epithets)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical decision-making grounded in discernment: before acting in anger or retaliation based on suspicion of deception, one should ascertain what is true and what is false, and then act in accordance with trustworthy counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person, convinced that he has been deceived, prepares to act forcefully with allies and troops. The speaker (Bhīṣma) frames this as a moment requiring clarification and urges the addressed woman—praised as suśroṇī/śobhanā—to state what is true, promising to act according to her auspicious words.