Shloka 106
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत भीष्मपर्वके अन्तर्गत भीष्मवधपर्वमें नवें दिनके युद्धका समाप्तिविषयक एक सौ छठा अध्याय पूरा हुआ
śrutaṃ hi kurumukhyasya nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam | kanyā hy eṣā purā bhūtvā puruṣaḥ samapadyata ||
Sañjaya tâu: “Tôi đã nghe lời quyết của Bhīṣma, bậc đứng đầu nhà Kuru: ‘Ta sẽ không hạ sát Śikhaṇḍin. Vì người ấy thuở trước sinh làm nữ, rồi về sau mới thành nam.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, personal dharma and vows can impose limits on violence. Bhīṣma’s refusal to kill Śikhaṇḍin shows a chivalric ethic: he will not strike one he considers, by birth, a woman—highlighting how moral restraint can shape (and be exploited within) battlefield outcomes.
Sañjaya reports Bhīṣma’s declared resolve during the Kurukṣetra war: he will not kill Śikhaṇḍin because Śikhaṇḍin was formerly born as a maiden and later became male. This stance becomes strategically significant in the events leading to Bhīṣma’s fall.