शिखण्डिनं तु गाड्भेय: क्रोधदीप्तेन चक्षुषा । सम्प्रैक्षत कटाक्षेण निर्दहन्निव भारत
śikhaṇḍinaṃ tu gāḍbheyaḥ krodha-dīptena cakṣuṣā | sampraikṣata kaṭākṣeṇa nirdahann iva bhārata ||
Sañjaya berkata: Namun Bhīṣma, putera Gaṅgā, memandang ke arah Śikhaṇḍin dengan mata menyala oleh amarah; dengan jelingan sisi, wahai Bhārata, seakan-akan baginda akan membakarnya menjadi abu.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical tension between inner passions (krodha) and the demands of dharma in war: even a great elder like Bhīṣma can be stirred by personal history, yet the broader narrative tests how one restrains or channels such emotions under righteous duty.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma fixing an angry, scorching sidelong gaze on Śikhaṇḍin on the battlefield, conveying intense hostility and the charged background that makes Śikhaṇḍin pivotal in the confrontation with Bhīṣma.