अहं तु सोमकान् सर्वान् सपाञ्चालान् समागतान् ॥
निहनिष्ये नरव्याघ्र वर्जयित्वा शिखण्डिनम् ॥
तैर् वाहं निहतः संख्ये गमिष्ये यमसादनम् ॥
तान् वा निहत्य संग्रामे प्रीतिं दास्यामि वै तव ॥
पूर्वं हि स्त्री समुत्पन्ना शिखण्डी राजवेश्मनि ॥
वरदानात् पुमाञ् जातः सैषा वै स्त्री शिखण्डिनी ॥
ताम् अहं न हनिष्यामि प्राणत्यागे ऽपि भारत ॥
यासौ प्राङ् निर्मिता धात्रा सैषा वै स्त्री शिखण्डिनी ॥
सुखं स्वपिहि गान्धारे श्वो ऽस्मि कर्ता महारणम् ॥
यज् जनाः कथयिष्यन्ति यावत् स्थास्यति मेदिनी ॥
ahaṃ tu somakān sarvān sapāñcālān samāgatān ||
nihaniṣye naravyāghra varjayitvā śikhaṇḍinam ||
tair vāhaṃ nihataḥ saṃkhye gamiṣye yamasādanam ||
tān vā nihatya saṃgrāme prītiṃ dāsyāmi vai tava ||
pūrvaṃ hi strī samutpannā śikhaṇḍī rājaveśmani ||
varadānāt pumāñ jātaḥ saiṣā vai strī śikhaṇḍinī ||
tām ahaṃ na haniṣyāmi prāṇatyāge 'pi bhārata ||
yāsau prāṅ nirmitā dhātrā saiṣā vai strī śikhaṇḍinī ||
sukhaṃ svapihi gāndhāre śvo 'smi kartā mahāraṇam ||
yaj janāḥ kathayiṣyanti yāvat sthāsyati medinī ||
"But I shall destroy all the Somakas gathered together with the Panchalas, tiger among men, except for Shikhandin. Either, slain by them in battle, I shall go to the abode of Yama; or, having slain them in battle, I shall surely give you joy. For Shikhandin was formerly born a woman in the royal house, and by the granting of a boon became a man; yet this Shikhandini is still a woman. Her I will not slay, O Bharata, even at the cost of my own life: she who was formerly fashioned by the Creator is still a woman, this Shikhandini. Sleep peacefully, son of Gandhari. Tomorrow I shall wage a great battle, of which people will speak as long as the earth shall stand."
db27e2293cce · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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Bhishma's promise joins resolve with a limit. He is ready to give his life and crush armies, but he will not cross his own vow and his understanding of dharma regarding Shikhandin; it is this very limit that will later prove decisive in the course of the war.