Shloka 13
अम्बायाः तपोदीक्षा–रुद्रवर–आत्मदाहः
Amba’s Ascetic Vow, Rudra’s Boon, and Self-Immolation
कृतदार: शिखण्डी च काम्पिल्यं पुनरागमत् | ततः सा वेद तां कनन््यां कज्चित् काल स्त्रियं किल
kṛtadāraḥ śikhaṇḍī ca kāmpilyaṃ punar āgamat | tataḥ sā veda tāṃ kanyāṃ kaścit kālaḥ striyaṃ kila |
婚礼既毕，尸佉ṇḍī携其妻再返甘毗利耶。未几，那位少女便洞悉真相——尸佉ṇḍī实为女子。此事昭示：当世俗礼制在隐瞒之下被履行，便会生出深重的伦理张力；而隐瞒终将考验信任、夫妇之责与王者之担当。
दुपद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that actions performed under concealment—especially in socially binding rites like marriage—create ethical tension and instability. Truth, trust, and responsibility (of individuals and kings) become central, and hidden realities tend to surface, forcing a reckoning with dharma.
Śikhaṇḍī, now married, returns with his wife to Kāmpilya. After some time, the bride realizes that Śikhaṇḍī is actually a woman (Śikhaṇḍinī by birth), setting up the ensuing conflict and the need for resolution.