Shloka 50
नाभिसंधत्त पाज्चाल्ये स्मयमानो मुहुर्मुहु: । स्त्रीत्वं तस्यानुसंस्कृत्य भीष्मो बाणात् शिखण्डिने
sañjaya uvāca | nābhisaṃdhatta pāñcālye smayamāno muhur muhuḥ | strītvaṃ tasyānusaṃskṛtya bhīṣmo bāṇāt śikhaṇḍine ||
Disse Sañjaya: Sorrindo repetidas vezes, Bhīṣma não apontou suas flechas contra o príncipe dos Pāñcālas (Śikhaṇḍin). Lembrando-se da condição feminina de Śikhaṇḍin, Bhīṣma conteve-se e não lhe disparou—assim, mesmo em meio à fúria da batalha, manteve-se fiel ao seu próprio código sobre a quem era justo atingir.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, Bhīṣma maintains a self-imposed ethical boundary: remembering Śikhaṇḍin’s womanhood, he refuses to target him. The verse highlights dharma as restraint and fidelity to one’s vows, not merely battlefield success.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, though fighting fiercely, does not aim arrows at Śikhaṇḍin. He repeatedly smiles and holds back, because he considers it improper to strike someone he regards as female, thereby allowing Śikhaṇḍin to stand before him without being attacked.