Shloka 15
धृतराष्ट्राश्रमगमनम् — The Pandavas’ Procession to Dhritarashtra’s Hermitage
द्रौपद्या सह सम्भूतं धृष्टद्युम्नं च पावकात् । अन्नेर्भागं शुभं विद्धि राक्षसं तु शिखण्डिनम्
drau padyā saha sambhūtaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca pāvakāt | annerbhāgaṃ śubhaṃ viddhi rākṣasaṃ tu śikhaṇḍinam ||
Vyāsa disse: “Sabe que Dhṛṣṭadyumna—que se manifestou do fogo sagrado juntamente com Draupadī—era uma porção auspiciosa de Agni. Mas Śikhaṇḍin, nessa forma, foi a encarnação de um rākṣasa.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames key agents of the Kurukṣetra war as embodiments of larger cosmic forces: Dhṛṣṭadyumna as an auspicious share of Agni, and Śikhaṇḍin as a rākṣasa-incarnation. Ethically, it suggests that historical outcomes—especially in war—unfold through a convergence of human choice and supra-human destinies, complicating simple moral judgments.
Vyāsa is informing (or reminding) the listener about the extraordinary origins of major figures: Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s fiery manifestation alongside Draupadī, and Śikhaṇḍin’s identity as a rākṣasa in that embodiment—details that contextualize their decisive roles in the war, particularly Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s leadership and Śikhaṇḍin’s instrumental part in Bhīṣma’s downfall.