धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
कथं शिखण्डी गाङ्गेयम् अभ्यधावत् पितामहम् ॥
पाञ्चाल्यः समरे क्रुद्धो धर्मात्मानं यतव्रतम् ॥
के ऽरक्षन् पाण्डवानीके शिखण्डिनम् उदायुधम् ॥
त्वरमाणास् त्वराकाले जिगीषन्तो महारथाः ॥
कथं शांतनवो भीष्मः स तस्मिन् दशमे ऽहनि ॥
अयुध्यत महावीर्यः पाण्डवैः सहसृञ्जयैः ॥
न मृष्यामि रणे भीष्मं प्रत्युद्यातं शिखण्डिनम् ॥
कच्चिन् न रथभङ्गो ऽस्य धनुर् वाशीर्यतास्यतः ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
kathaṃ śikhaṇḍī gāṅgeyam abhyadhāvat pitāmaham ||
pāñcālyaḥ samare kruddho dharmātmānaṃ yatavratam ||
ke 'rakṣan pāṇḍavānīke śikhaṇḍinam udāyudham ||
tvaramāṇās tvarākāle jigīṣanto mahārathāḥ ||
kathaṃ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmaḥ sa tasmin daśame 'hani ||
ayudhyata mahāvīryaḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ sahasṛñjayaiḥ ||
na mṛṣyāmi raṇe bhīṣmaṃ pratyudyātaṃ śikhaṇḍinam ||
kaccin na rathabhaṅgo 'sya dhanur vāśīryatāsyataḥ ||
Dhritarashtra said: "How did the enraged Panchala Shikhandi rush upon the son of Ganga in battle, upon the grandfather, righteous of soul and firm in his vow? Who guarded the armed Shikhandi in the Pandava ranks — those great chariot-warriors who hastened in the decisive hour, striving for victory? How did the mighty Bhishma, son of Shantanu, fight on that tenth day against the Pandavas and the Srinjayas? I cannot bear the thought of Bhishma in battle, confronted by Shikhandi. Was his chariot not broken? Did his bow not splinter as he loosed his arrows?"
dde1b0b66d16 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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Dhritarashtra hears of the plan involving Shikhandi and at once searches for an external cause of Bhishma's possible fall — a broken chariot or a shattered bow. He is not yet ready to see that the decisive factor will be Bhishma's own vow.