Shloka 8

Drupada’s Alarm and Inquiry Regarding Śikhaṇḍinī (द्रुपदस्य भय-विमर्शः)

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्त्वा समयं तत्र चक्राते तावुभौ नृप । अन्यो<न्यस्याभिसंदेहे तौ संक्रामयतां ततः,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--नरेश्वर! इस प्रकार बात करके उन्होंने परस्पर प्रतिज्ञा कर ली तथा उन दोनोंने एक-दूसरेके शरीरमें अपने-अपने पुरुषत्व और स्त्रीत्वका संक्रमण करा दिया। भारत! स्थूणाकर्ण यक्षने उस शिखण्डिनीके स्त्रीत्वको धारण कर लिया और शिखण्डिनीने यक्षका प्रकाशमान पुरुषत्व प्राप्त कर लिया

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | ity uktvā samayaṃ tatra cakrāte tāv ubhau nṛpa | anyo'nyasyābhisandehe tau saṃkrāmayatāṃ tataḥ |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王，二人如此言毕，便在彼处立下相互之约。继而，为求彼此交换，他们令转移发生——各自将自身的性别本性传与对方。”

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

इतिthus

उक्त्वाhaving said

समयम्agreement, compact

तत्रthere

चand

चक्रातेthey two made/arranged

तौthose two

उभौboth

नृपO king

अन्यःone (of the two)

अन्यस्यof the other

अभिसन्देहेin (mutual) contact/union

तौthose two

संक्रामयताम्let them two transfer/cause to pass over

ततःthen, thereafter

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

nṛpa (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the binding force of a samaya (solemn agreement) and the ethical weight of intentional action: once a pledge is made, the parties act to fulfill it, even through extraordinary means, underscoring responsibility to one’s word and the consequences such commitments set in motion.

What is happening in the narrative?

After speaking, the two parties conclude a mutual pact and then carry out an exchange—each causes their own sexual nature to be transferred to the other—setting up the later narrative role of Shikhaṇḍin in the events leading to the Kurukṣetra war.