Shloka 20
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
कथं चातिरथस्तेन पाञज्चाल्येन शिखण्डिना । भीष्मो विनिहतो युद्धे देवेरपि दुरासद:,भीष्म तो युद्धमें देवताओंके लिये भी दुर्जय एवं अतिरथी थे, फिर पांचालराजकुमार शिखण्डीके हाथसे वे किस प्रकार मारे गये?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
kathaṃ cātirathas tena pāñcālyena śikhaṇḍinā |
bhīṣmo vinihato yuddhe devair api durāsadaḥ ||
持国王说道：“毗湿摩乃阿提罗陀（atiratha），战场上威不可当，连诸天也难以战胜；他却如何在战争中被那位般遮罗王子——尸佉ṇḍin——所杀？（请告诉我，这位近乎无敌的战士以何种方式、因何缘由而倒下。）”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata theme: even the mightiest warrior can fall when bound by vows, ethical constraints, and destiny. Power alone does not determine outcomes; dharma, personal commitments, and strategic circumstances shape victory and defeat.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of Bhīṣma’s fall, expresses astonishment and asks Sañjaya to explain how Bhīṣma—renowned as nearly invincible—could be slain, specifically through the agency of the Pāñcāla warrior Śikhaṇḍī.