Shloka 7
भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception
शिखण्डी तं च विव्याध भरतानां पितामहम् । स्त्रीमयं मनसा ध्यात्वा नास्मै प्राहरदच्युत:
śikhaṇḍī taṃ ca vivyādha bharatānāṃ pitāmaham | strīmayaṃ manasā dhyātvā nāsmai prāharad acyutaḥ ||
Sañjaya nói: Śikhaṇḍī đã đâm xuyên Bhīṣma, vị tổ phụ của dòng Bharata. Nhưng Bhīṣma—người không hề rời bỏ lời thệ và khuôn phép—đã không đánh trả, vì trong tâm ông xem Śikhaṇḍī là nữ giới.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as self-restraint even amid war: Bhīṣma prioritizes his ethical vow—never to strike one he regards as a woman—over tactical advantage, showing how personal vows and moral codes can govern conduct even in extreme conflict.
During the Kurukṣetra battle, Śikhaṇḍī shoots Bhīṣma with arrows. Bhīṣma does not retaliate because he mentally classifies Śikhaṇḍī as female (due to Śikhaṇḍī’s earlier identity), and thus refrains from attacking, which contributes to Bhīṣma’s vulnerability.