Shloka 6
Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)
शिखण्डिन्युवाच प्रतिदास्यामि भगवन् पुल्लिज्7ं तव सुब्रत । किज्वचित्कालान्तरं स्त्रीत्वं धारयस्व निशाचर
śikhaṇḍiny uvāca pratīdāsyāmi bhagavan pulliṅgaṃ tava suvrata | kiñcit kālāntaraṃ strītvaṃ dhārayasva niśācara ||
శిఖండినీ పలికెను—భగవన్, సువ్రతా! సమయమొచ్చినప్పుడు నీ పురుషత్వాన్ని నేను తిరిగి ఇస్తాను. ఓ నిశాచరా! కొద్దికాలం నా స్త్రీత్వాన్ని ధరించు.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of a vow-bound promise: even in extraordinary circumstances (a proposed exchange of gendered identity), the act is framed as reciprocal, time-limited, and anchored in commitment. It highlights how dharma is negotiated when personal truth, social order, and urgent necessity come into tension.
Shikhaṇḍinī addresses a niśācara, requesting that he temporarily take on her womanhood while she takes his manhood, assuring him that she will return his masculinity at the appropriate time. The proposal functions as a narrative mechanism to resolve a predicament tied to gender, marriage, and public recognition.