Shloka 2

Devanagari script

शिखण्डिनं तु गाड्भेय: क्रोधदीप्तेन चक्षुषा । सम्प्रैक्षत कटाक्षेण निर्दहन्निव भारत,भारत! गंगानन्दन भीष्मने क्रोधसे प्रज्वलित हुई दृष्टि एवं कनखियोंसे शिखण्डीकी ओर इस प्रकार देखा, मानो वे उसे भस्म कर डालेंगे

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍinaṃ tu gāḍbheyaḥ krodha-dīptena cakṣuṣā | sampraikṣata kaṭākṣeṇa nirdahann iva bhārata ||

Translation

భారతా! గంగానందనుడైన భీష్ముడు క్రోధజ్వలిత నేత్రాలతో శిఖండీ వైపు పక్కచూపు చూశాడు—అతడిని భస్మం చేయబోతున్నట్లుగా.

Word by Word

शिखण्डिनम्Shikhandin (as object)

तुbut/indeed

गाङ्गेयःthe son of Ganga (Bhishma)

क्रोधदीप्तेनwith (a) anger-kindled

चक्षुषाwith the eye/gaze

सम्प्रैक्षतlooked at, beheld

कटाक्षेणwith a sidelong glance

निर्दहन्burning (as if)

इवas if/like

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma (Gaṅgā-nandana / Gāṅgeya)

Śikhaṇḍin

Bhārata (address)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between inner passions (krodha) and the demands of dharma in war: even a great elder like Bhīṣma can be stirred by personal history, yet the broader narrative tests how one restrains or channels such emotions under righteous duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma fixing an angry, scorching sidelong gaze on Śikhaṇḍin on the battlefield, conveying intense hostility and the charged background that makes Śikhaṇḍin pivotal in the confrontation with Bhīṣma.