Shloka 3
स्त्रीत्वं तस्यप स्मरन् राजन् सर्वलोकस्य पश्यत: । नाजघान रणे भीष्म: स च तन्नावबुद्धवान्
strītvam tasya sma ran rājan sarvalokasya paśyataḥ | nājaghāna raṇe bhīṣmaḥ sa ca tan nāvabuddhavān rājan |
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, kerana mengingati bahawa Śikhaṇḍin berasal daripada kewanitaan, dan di hadapan seluruh bala tentera yang menyaksikan, Bhīṣma tidak memukulnya dalam pertempuran. Namun Śikhaṇḍin, wahai Raja, tidak memahami sebabnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint as a form of dharma: even in war, Bhīṣma upholds a moral boundary by refusing to strike one he regards as a woman, showing that ethical commitments can limit violence even amid battlefield duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, recalling Śikhaṇḍin’s female identity, does not attack him while everyone watches; Śikhaṇḍin, however, fails to grasp why Bhīṣma is holding back.