Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शिखण्डिनं पुरस्कृत्य भीष्म विव्याध संयुगे | इस प्रकार दुःशासन और भीष्ममें जब बातचीत हो रही थी, उसी समय अर्जुनने अपने तीखे बाणोंद्वारा युद्धस्थलमें शिखण्डीको आगे करके भीष्मको क्षत-विक्षत कर दिया ।। ५८ -॥] ततो दुःशासनं भूय: स्मयमान इवाब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍinaṃ puraskṛtya bhīṣmaṃ vivyādha saṃyuge | tato duḥśāsanaṃ bhūyaḥ smayamāna ivābravīt ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—శిఖండిని ముందుంచి అర్జునుడు యుద్ధరంగంలో భీష్ముని మళ్లీ మళ్లీ పదునైన బాణాలతో ఛేదించాడు. అప్పుడు దుశ్శాసనుడు చిరునవ్వుతో మళ్లీ పలికాడు.

Word by Word

शिखण्डिनम्Shikhandin (as object)

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front / having put forward

भीष्मम्Bhishma (as object)

विव्याधpierced / struck

संयुगेin battle

ततःthen / thereafter

दुःशासनम्Duhshasana (as object)

भूयःagain / further

स्मयमानःsmiling

इवas if

अब्रवीत्said / spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śikhaṇḍin

Arjuna

Bhīṣma

Duḥśāsana

Kurukṣetra (battlefield)

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 how dharma in war is shaped by vows and constraints: Bhīṣma’s personal code (refusing to fight Śikhaṇḍin) becomes the decisive ethical-psychological condition that others exploit, showing how adherence to a vow can determine outcomes even against unmatched strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna advances with Śikhaṇḍin positioned in front and showers Bhīṣma with arrows, wounding him severely. Immediately after this, Duḥśāsana resumes speaking, apparently with a smile, continuing the Kaurava-side commentary amid the unfolding crisis.