Shloka 104
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
अर्जुनने कहा--श्रीकृष्ण! शिखण्डी निश्चय ही भीष्मकी मृत्युका कारण होगा; क्योंकि भीष्म उस पांचाल-राजकुमारको देखते ही सदा युद्धसे निवृत्त हो जाते हैं ।। ते वयं प्रमुखे तस्य पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम् । गाड़ेयं पातयिष्याम उपायेनेति मे मति:,अतः: हम सब लोग उनके सामने शिखण्डीको खड़ा करके श्त्रप्रहाररूप उपायद्वारा गंगानन्दन भीष्मको मार गिरायेंगे, यही मेरा विचार है
arjuna uvāca—śrīkṛṣṇa! śikhaṇḍī niścayaṃ hi bhīṣmasya mṛtyoḥ kāraṇaṃ bhaviṣyati; yataḥ bhīṣmaḥ taṃ pāñcāla-rājakumāraṃ dṛṣṭvaiva sadā yuddhāt nivartate. te vayaṃ pramukhe tasya puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam, upāyena śastraprahārarūpeṇa gaṅgānandanaṃ bhīṣmaṃ pātayiṣyāma—iti me matiḥ.
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śikhaṇḍī pasti akan menjadi sebab kematian Bhīṣma; kerana Bhīṣma, sebaik melihat putera Pāñcāla itu, sentiasa mengundurkan diri daripada pertempuran. Maka, dengan menempatkan Śikhaṇḍī di hadapannya, kita akan menjatuhkan Bhīṣma—putera Gaṅgā—melalui helah serangan senjata. Itulah pertimbanganku.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between dharma and battlefield necessity: even revered warriors may be overcome through tactical means that exploit personal vows and ethical restraints. It invites reflection on whether victory achieved by stratagem—rather than direct contest—can still be justified as kṣatriya-duty in a war framed as restoring order.
Arjuna tells Kṛṣṇa that Bhīṣma will not fight when Śikhaṇḍī stands before him, so the Pāṇḍavas should place Śikhaṇḍī at the front and then strike Bhīṣma from behind that screen, using this method to bring the otherwise invincible grandsire down.