Shloka 9
Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)
स्त्रीलिडूं धारयामास स्थूणायक्षो5थ भारत । यक्षरूपं च तद् दीप्तं शिखण्डी प्रत्यपद्यत
strīliṅgaṁ dhārayāmāsa sthūṇāyakṣo 'tha bhārata | yakṣarūpaṁ ca tad dīptaṁ śikhaṇḍī pratyapadyata ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó Bhārata, depois disso o Yakṣa chamado Sthūṇa assumiu o sexo feminino; e Śikhaṇḍī, por sua vez, obteve aquela forma yakṣa radiante—isto é, a natureza masculina. Assim, por voto mútuo, cada um tomou para si a identidade corporal do outro.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding force of a pledged promise and the far-reaching consequences of actions taken to fulfill vows. It also frames bodily identity as something that can be altered through extraordinary means, yet remains ethically charged because it is undertaken to meet social and dharmic pressures that later shape the course of war.
After a mutual agreement, the Yakṣa Sthūṇa (Sthūṇākarṇa) takes on Śikhaṇḍinī’s female identity, while Śikhaṇḍī receives the Yakṣa’s radiant male nature/form. This exchange establishes Śikhaṇḍī’s male status, which becomes crucial in the later events involving Bhīṣma.