Shloka 2
अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal
पूर्वमुक्त्वा महाबाहो पठचालान् सह सोमकै: । हनिष्यामीति गाड़्ेय तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह,महाबाहु गंगानन्दन! पितामह! आप पहले तो यह कह चुके हैं कि “मैं सोमकोंसहित पंचालोंका वध करूँगा” (फिर आप शिखण्डीको छोड़ क्यों रहे हैं?) यह मुझे बताइये
pūrvam uktvā mahābāho pañcālān saha somakaiḥ | haniṣyāmīti gāṅgeya tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Duryodhana nói: “Hỡi bậc dũng lực, hỡi Gāṅgeya, thưa Tổ phụ—trước đây ngài từng nói: ‘Ta sẽ giết quân Pāñcāla cùng với Somaka.’ Vậy cớ sao nay ngài lại chùn tay trước Śikhaṇḍin? Xin hãy nói cho ta rõ.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between martial vows and moral restraints: even in war, a warrior’s conduct is bounded by personal dharma and codes of honor. Duryodhana presses for consistency in Bhīṣma’s vow, while the subtext points to Bhīṣma’s principled refusal to treat Śikhaṇḍin as a legitimate target.
Duryodhana addresses Bhīṣma, reminding him of his earlier declaration to kill the Pāñcālas and their allies (Somakas). He challenges Bhīṣma’s apparent exception regarding Śikhaṇḍin and asks him to explain why he is holding back in that specific case.