Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 2736
हतं शिखण्डिना श्रुत्वा न विदीर्येत यन्मन: । “हाय! इस पृथ्वीपर बलमें जिसकी समानता करनेवाला दूसरा कोई नहीं है, उसीको शिखण्डीके हाथसे मारा गया सुनकर आज मेरी छाती क्यों नहीं फट जाती
hataṁ śikhaṇḍinā śrutvā na vidīryeta yan manaḥ |
毗舍波耶那说道：“听闻他竟为尸佉檀因所杀，谁的心不至于碎裂？唉——当我听到这大地上力无匹敌之人竟死在尸佉檀因手中时，我的胸膛今日为何不迸裂？”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral shock that arises when an unmatched warrior falls through a contested or indirect agency, prompting reflection on the fragility of worldly power and the complex workings of dharma and fate in war.
Vaiśampāyana expresses overwhelming grief and disbelief upon hearing that the great, unequalled warrior (implicitly Bhīṣma in the wider episode) was killed through Śikhaṇḍin’s involvement, lamenting that such news should make one’s heart and chest split.