Shloka 22
शिखण्डी तु रणे राजन् विव्याधैव पितामहम् । शरैरशनिसंस्पर्शैस्तथा सर्पविषोपमै:
sañjaya uvāca | śikhaṇḍī tu raṇe rājan vivyādhaiva pitāmaham | śarair aśani-saṃsparśais tathā sarpa-viṣopamaiḥ ||
Sanjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, di tengah pertempuran Śikhaṇḍī mula menikam Datuk Agung Bhīṣma dengan anak panah—menyentuh seperti sambaran petir dan menggerunkan seperti bisa ular—menunjukkan bahawa dalam perang, bahkan orang tua yang paling dimuliakan pun boleh diserang apabila arus strategi dan dendam lama berpaling menentangnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh moral complexity of war: reverence for elders and ideals of honor can be overridden by battlefield strategy and the momentum of destiny, revealing how dharma in conflict often becomes entangled with necessity and prior causes.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Shikhandi is actively striking Bhishma with fierce arrows in battle, initiating the decisive pressure that will lead to Bhishma’s downfall.