Shloka 19
Ambā’s Vow of Tapas after Paraśurāma’s Assessment (अम्बाया तपोव्रतनिश्चयः)
जिनका तेज कभी क्षीण नहीं होता, उन महादेवजीके वचनोंपर श्रद्धा रखनेके कारण राजा ट्रपदने उसके कन्याभावको छिपाया और पुत्र होनेकी घोषणा कर दी ।।
jātakarmāṇi sarvāṇi kārayāmāsa pārthivaḥ | puṁvad vidhāna-yuktāni śikhaṇḍīti ca tāṁ viduḥ ||
Disse Bhīṣma: Confiando nas palavras de Mahādeva, o rei Drupada ocultou que a criança nascera menina e proclamou-a como filho. Mandou realizar todos os ritos prescritos do nascimento exatamente como para um menino, e assim o povo passou a conhecê-la pelo nome de “Śikhaṇḍī”.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the power of śraddhā (trust) in divine words and the weight of royal responsibility: a king may shape public identity through ritual and proclamation, and such choices—though made for a perceived dharmic or strategic end—can become pivotal in later moral and political outcomes.
Drupada, relying on Mahadeva’s assurance, hides that the child is female and publicly announces a son. He orders all birth-ceremonies to be performed according to male prescriptions, and the child becomes known socially by the name Shikhandi.