शिखण्डी तु समासाद्य भारतानां पितामहम् ॥
अभ्यद्रवत संहृष्टो भयं त्यक्त्वा यतव्रतम् ॥
युधिष्ठिरमुखाः पार्थाः पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम् ॥
अयोधयन् रणे भीष्मं संहताः सह सृञ्जयैः ॥
तथैव तावकाः सर्वे पुरस्कृत्य यतव्रतम् ॥
शिखण्डिप्रमुखान् पार्थान् योधयन्ति स्म संयुगे ॥
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं कौरवाणां भयावहम् ॥
तत्र पाण्डुसुतैः सार्धं भीष्मस्य विजयं प्रति ॥
तावकानां रणे भीष्मो ग्लह आसीद् विशां पते ॥
तत्र हि द्यूतम् आयातं विजयायेतराय वा ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नो महाराज सर्वसैन्यान्य् अचोदयत् ॥
अभिद्रवत गाङ्गेयं मा भैष्ट नरसत्तमाः ॥
सेनापतिवचः श्रुत्वा पाण्डवानां वरूथिनी ॥
भीष्मम् एवाभ्ययात् तूर्णं प्राणांस् त्यक्त्वा महाहवे ॥
भीष्मो ऽपि रथिनां श्रेष्ठः प्रतिजग्राह तां चमूम् ॥
आपतन्तीं महाराज वेलाम् इव महोदधिः ॥
śikhaṇḍī tu samāsādya bhāratānāṃ pitāmaham ||
abhyadravata saṃhṛṣṭo bhayaṃ tyaktvā yatavratam ||
yudhiṣṭhiramukhāḥ pārthāḥ puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam ||
ayodhayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ saṃhatāḥ saha sṛñjayaiḥ ||
tathaiva tāvakāḥ sarve puraskṛtya yatavratam ||
śikhaṇḍipramukhān pārthān yodhayanti sma saṃyuge ||
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ kauravāṇāṃ bhayāvaham ||
tatra pāṇḍusutaiḥ sārdhaṃ bhīṣmasya vijayaṃ prati ||
tāvakānāṃ raṇe bhīṣmo glaha āsīd viśāṃ pate ||
tatra hi dyūtam āyātaṃ vijayāyetarāya vā ||
dhṛṣṭadyumno mahārāja sarvasainyāny acodayat ||
abhidravata gāṅgeyaṃ mā bhaiṣṭa narasattamāḥ ||
senāpativacaḥ śrutvā pāṇḍavānāṃ varūthinī ||
bhīṣmam evābhyayāt tūrṇaṃ prāṇāṃs tyaktvā mahāhave ||
bhīṣmo 'pi rathināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ pratijagrāha tāṃ camūm ||
āpatantīṃ mahārāja velām iva mahodadhiḥ ||
Shikhandi, drawing near the grandsire of the Bharatas, cast off fear and joyfully charged upon Bhishma, firm in his vow. The Parthas, led by Yudhishthira, placing Shikhandi in front and joined with the Srinjayas, fought in battle against Bhishma. So too all your warriors, putting forward the grandsire, firm in his vow, fought against the Parthas led by Shikhandi. Then a battle broke out, terrible for the Kauravas: there, together with the sons of Pandu, everything moved toward Bhishma's victory or defeat. For your warriors in that battle Bhishma had become the stake, O lord of peoples; there the game had begun -- for victory or the reverse. Dhrishtadyumna, O great king, urged on all the armies: 'Charge upon the son of Ganga! Do not fear, best of men!' Hearing the general's command, the army of the Pandavas, sparing not their lives, swiftly rushed straight upon Bhishma in the great battle. And Bhishma, best among chariot-warriors, met that charging host, O great king, as the great ocean meets the shore.'
34b8df0153c2 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:42 PM UTC
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The chapter names Bhishma directly as the stake of the battle. Everything no longer breaks down into separate duels: both sides understand that the outcome now turns on the grandsire.