Shloka 37
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
भीष्ममप्रतियुद्धयन्तं शिखण्डी सायकोत्तमै: । पातयामास समरे सर्वशस्त्रभूृतां वरम्
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
bhīṣmam apratiyuddhayantaṁ śikhaṇḍī sāyakottamaiḥ |
pātayāmāsa samare sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Ketika Bhīṣma, yang terunggul antara semua pemegang senjata, tidak memberikan tentangan dalam pertempuran, Śikhaṇḍī pun memanahnya dengan anak panah terbaik hingga menjatuhkannya di medan perang. Peristiwa ini menonjolkan ketegangan moral dalam perang: kemenangan dikejar melalui kelebihan taktik, walaupun pengekangan pihak lawan (di sini, keengganan Bhīṣma untuk bertempur melawan Śikhaṇḍī) mewujudkan ketidakseimbangan yang sarat persoalan etika.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain within dharma-yuddha: even a supremely righteous warrior like Bhīṣma may refuse to fight under certain moral constraints, and opponents may still exploit that restraint for strategic success—raising questions about fairness, duty, and the costs of victory.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śikhaṇḍī, using excellent arrows, brings down Bhīṣma on the battlefield at a moment when Bhīṣma is not fighting back, emphasizing Bhīṣma’s non-resistance toward Śikhaṇḍī and the resulting tactical outcome.