दुःशासन रथास् तूर्णं युज्यन्तां भीष्मरक्षिणः ॥
द्वात्रिंशत् त्वम् अनीकानि सर्वाण्य् एवाभिचोदय ॥
इदं हि समनुप्राप्तं वर्षपूगाभिचिन्तितम् ॥
पाण्डवानां ससैन्यानां वधो राज्यस्य चागमः ॥
तत्र कार्यम् अहं मन्ये भीष्मस्यैवाभिरक्षणम् ॥
स नो गुप्तः सुखाय स्याद् धन्यात् पार्थांश् च संयुगे ॥
अब्रवीच् च विशुद्धात्मा नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम् ॥
स्त्रीपूर्वको ह्य् असौ जातस् तस्माद् वर्ज्यो रणे मया ॥
लोकस् तद् वेद यद् अहं पितुः प्रियचिकीर्षया ॥
राज्यं स्फीतं महाबाहो स्त्रियश् च त्यक्तवान् पुरा ॥
नैव चाहं स्त्रियं जातु न स्त्रीपूर्वं कथं चन ॥
हन्यां युधि नरश्रेष्ठ सत्यम् एतद् ब्रवीमि ते ॥
अयं स्त्रीपूर्वको राजञ् शिखण्डी यदि ते श्रुतः ॥
उद्योगे कथितं यत् तत् तथा जाता शिखण्डिनी ॥
कन्या भूत्वा पुमाञ् जातः स च योत्स्यति भारत ॥
तस्याहं प्रमुखे बाणान् न मुञ्चेयं कथं चन ॥
युद्धे तु क्षत्रियांस् तात पाण्डवानां जयैषिणः ॥
सर्वान् अन्यान् हनिष्यामि संप्राप्तान् बाणगोचरान् ॥
एवं मां भरतश्रेष्ठो गाङ्गेयः प्राह शास्त्रवित् ॥
तत्र सर्वात्मना मन्ये भीष्मस्यैवाभिपालनम् ॥
अरक्ष्यमाणं हि वृको हन्यात् सिंहं महावने ॥
मा वृकेणेव शार्दूलं घातयेम शिखण्डिना ॥
मातुलः शकुनिः शल्यः कृपो द्रोणो विविंशतिः ॥
यत्ता रक्षन्तु गाङ्गेयं तस्मिन् गुप्ते ध्रुवो जयः ॥
duḥśāsana rathās tūrṇaṃ yujyantāṃ bhīṣmarakṣiṇaḥ ||
dvātriṃśat tvam anīkāni sarvāṇy evābhicodaya ||
idaṃ hi samanuprāptaṃ varṣapūgābhicintitam ||
pāṇḍavānāṃ sasainyānāṃ vadho rājyasya cāgamaḥ ||
tatra kāryam ahaṃ manye bhīṣmasyaivābhirakṣaṇam ||
sa no guptaḥ sukhāya syād dhanyāt pārthāṃś ca saṃyuge ||
abravīc ca viśuddhātmā nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam ||
strīpūrvako hy asau jātas tasmād varjyo raṇe mayā ||
lokas tad veda yad ahaṃ pituḥ priyacikīrṣayā ||
rājyaṃ sphītaṃ mahābāho striyaś ca tyaktavān purā ||
naiva cāhaṃ striyaṃ jātu na strīpūrvaṃ kathaṃ cana ||
hanyāṃ yudhi naraśreṣṭha satyam etad bravīmi te ||
ayaṃ strīpūrvako rājañ śikhaṇḍī yadi te śrutaḥ ||
udyoge kathitaṃ yat tat tathā jātā śikhaṇḍinī ||
kanyā bhūtvā pumāñ jātaḥ sa ca yotsyati bhārata ||
tasyāhaṃ pramukhe bāṇān na muñceyaṃ kathaṃ cana ||
yuddhe tu kṣatriyāṃs tāta pāṇḍavānāṃ jayaiṣiṇaḥ ||
sarvān anyān haniṣyāmi saṃprāptān bāṇagocarān ||
evaṃ māṃ bharataśreṣṭho gāṅgeyaḥ prāha śāstravit ||
tatra sarvātmanā manye bhīṣmasyaivābhipālanam ||
arakṣyamāṇaṃ hi vṛko hanyāt siṃhaṃ mahāvane ||
mā vṛkeṇeva śārdūlaṃ ghātayema śikhaṇḍinā ||
mātulaḥ śakuniḥ śalyaḥ kṛpo droṇo viviṃśatiḥ ||
yattā rakṣantu gāṅgeyaṃ tasmin gupte dhruvo jayaḥ ||
Duryodhana said: 'Duhshasana, let the chariots for Bhishma's protection be yoked at once. Set all thirty-two divisions in motion. Now has come what we have pondered for long years: the destruction of the Pandavas together with their armies, and the gaining of the kingdom. In this matter I hold the guarding of Bhishma to be foremost. If he is protected, it will bring us good fortune, and he will slay the Parthas in battle. The pure-souled Bhishma said: "I will not kill Shikhandin. He was indeed formerly born a woman, and therefore in battle I must avoid him. The world knows that, wishing to please my father, I once gave up a flourishing kingdom and women, O mighty-armed one. Never, under any circumstance, will I kill in battle a woman or one who was formerly a woman, O best of men; I speak the truth to you. This Shikhandin, O king, was formerly a woman, if you have heard: as was told in the Udyoga, thus was Shikhandini born. Having been a maiden, he became a man, and he will fight, O Bharata. Before him I will by no means release my arrows. But all the other kshatriyas who seek the Pandavas' victory, whoever comes within reach of my arrows, I will destroy." Thus spoke to me Gangeya, best of the Bharatas, knower of the shastras. Therefore I hold with my whole soul that the guarding of Bhishma is essential. For an unguarded lion in the great forest may be destroyed by a wolf. Let us not allow Shikhandin to destroy him as a wolf destroys a tiger. Let my uncle Shakuni, Shalya, Kripa, Drona, and Vivinshati vigilantly guard Gangeya. If he is protected, victory is certain.'
68aee9002943 · publicado 17 jul 2026, 21:47:12 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Duryodhana rightly grasps Bhishma's tactical vulnerability, but he thinks of it only as a matter of defense. He does not see that this vulnerability springs from a vow and a moral limit — from the very dharma that cannot simply be shielded by chariots.