स्त्रीभावेन च मे गाढं मनः शान्तमुमापते । प्रतिश्रुतश्च भूतेश त्वया भीष्मपराजयः
'My mind is deeply at peace in womanhood, O Lord of Uma; yet you, Lord of beings, have promised Bhishma's defeat.'
यथा स सत्यो भवति तथा कुरु वृषध्वज । यथा हन्यां समागम्य भीष्मं शान्तनवं युधि
'Let that promise be fulfilled, O bull-bannered one, so that I may slay Bhishma, son of Shantanu, in battle.'
तामुवाच महादेवः कन्यां किल वृषध्वजः । न मे वागमृतं प्राह सत्यं भद्रे भविष्यसि
Then Mahadeva, the bull-bannered one, said to the maiden: 'My word is never false; you shall indeed succeed, O blessed one.'
हनिष्यसि रणे भीष्मं पुरुषत्वं च लप्स्यति ।। स्मरिष्यसि च तत्सर्वं देहमन्यं गता सती
'You shall slay Bhishma in battle, and you will obtain manhood. You will remember all this when you have taken another body.'
द्रुपदस्य कुले जाता भविष्यसि महारथः। शीघ्रास्त्रश्चित्रयोधी च भविष्यसि सुसंमतः
Born in the line of Drupada, you will become a great chariot-warrior, swift with weapons, a remarkable fighter, and highly esteemed.
यथोक्तमेव कल्याणि सर्वमेतद्भविष्यति। भविष्यसि पुमान्पश्चात्कस्माच्चित्कालपर्ययात्
O blessed one, all this shall come to pass just as I have said; after some time, you will become a man.
एवमुक्त्वा महादेवः कपर्दी वृषभध्वजः। पश्यतामेव विप्राणां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having spoken thus, Mahadeva, the matted-haired, bull-bannered god, vanished there itself before the eyes of the brahmins.
ततः सा पश्यतां तेषां महर्षीणामनिन्दिता । समाहृत्य वनात्तस्मात्काष्ठानि वरवर्णिनी
Then she, faultless among women, gathered wood from the forest as the great sages looked on.
चितां कृत्वा सुमहतीं प्रदाय च हुताशनम् । प्रदीप्तेऽग्नौ महाराज रोषदीप्तेन चेतसा
She built a great funeral pyre, offered it to the blazing fire, and, with a mind inflamed by anger, O King, entered the fire.
उक्त्वा भीष्मवधायेति प्रविवेश हुताशनम् । ज्येष्ठा काशिसुता राजन्यमुनामभितो नदीम्
Declaring, 'This is for the slaying of Bhishma,' the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi entered the fire on the banks of the Yamuna, as the royal sages watched.
कथं शिखण्डी गाङ्गेय कन्यां भूत्वा पुरा तदा। पुरुषोऽभूद्युधिश्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
How did Shikhandi, having once been a maiden, become a man, O best of warriors? Tell me this, grandfather.
भार्या तु तस्य राजेन्द्र द्रुपदस्य महीपतेः। महिषी दयिता ह्यासीदपुत्रा च विशांपते
The wife of King Drupada, O lord of kings, was his beloved queen, but she was childless, O ruler of men.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु द्रुपदो वै महीपतिः। अपत्यार्थे महाराज तोषयामास शङ्करम्
At that time, King Drupada, desiring offspring, sought to please Shankara, O great king.
अस्माद्वधार्थं निश्चित्य तपो घोरं समास्थितः। ऋते कन्यां महादेव पुत्रो मेस्यादिति ब्रुवन्
Resolving upon the destruction of his enemy, he undertook severe austerities, saying, 'Except for a daughter, may I have a son, O Mahadeva.'
भगवन्पुत्रमिच्छामि भीष्मं प्रतिचिकीर्षया । इत्युक्तो देवदेवेन स्त्रीपुमांस्ते भविष्यति
O blessed one, desiring to act against Bhishma, he said, 'Lord, I wish for a son,' and the god of gods replied, 'A daughter who will become a man.'
निवर्तस्व महीपाल नैतञ्जात्वन्यथा भवेत् । स तु गत्वा च नगरं भार्यामिदमुवाच ह
'Return, O king; it cannot be otherwise,' said the god. Then, going back to the city, he spoke to his wife.
कृतो यत्नो महादेवस्तपसाऽऽराधितो मया । कन्या भूत्वा पुमान्भावी इति चोक्तोस्मि शंभुना
'I have made great effort and worshipped Mahadeva with austerities; Shambhu has told me that a daughter will be born who will later become a man.'
पुनः पुनर्याच्यमानो दिष्टमित्यब्रवीच्छिवः । नतदन्यच्च भविता भवितव्यं हि तत्तथा
Though repeatedly entreated, Shiva declared, 'It is destined; nothing else will happen. What must be, will be so.'
ततः सा नियता भूत्वा ऋतुकाले मनस्विनी । पत्नी द्रुपदराजस्य द्रुपदं प्रविवेश ह
Then she, steadfast and wise, at the proper season, joined with King Drupada as his wife.
लेभे गर्भं यथाकालं विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा । पार्षतस्य महीपाल यथा मां नारदोऽब्रवीत्
In due time, by the prescribed rites, she conceived, O king, just as Narada had told me, O ruler of the Kurus.
ततो दधार सा देवी गर्भं राजीवलोचना । तां स राजा प्रियां भार्यां द्रुपदः कुरुनन्दन
Then that lotus-eyed queen bore the child, and King Drupada attended devotedly to his beloved wife, O joy of the Kurus.
पुत्रस्नेहान्महाबाहुः मुखं पर्यचरत्तदा । सर्वानभिप्रायकृतान्भार्याऽलभत कौरव
Out of affection for a son, the mighty-armed king cared for her face, and the queen received all her wishes, O Kaurava.
अपुत्रस्य सतो राज्ञो द्रुपदस्य महीपतेः । यथाकालं तु सा देवी महिषी द्रुपदस्य ह
When King Drupada was without a son, his queen, at the proper time, gave birth to a child.
कन्यां प्रवररूपां तु प्राजायत नराधिप । अपुत्रस्य तु राज्ञः सा द्रुपदस्य मनस्विनी
A daughter of excellent form was born to the king, who had no son; she was intelligent and belonged to Drupada.
ख्यापयामास राजेन्द्र पुत्रो ह्येष ममेति वै। ततः स राजा द्रुपद प्रच्छन्नाया नराधिप
The queen declared, 'This is my son,' O king; thus King Drupada kept the child's identity concealed.
पुत्रवत्पुत्रकार्याणि सर्वाणि समकारयत् । रक्षणं चैव मन्त्रस्य महिषी द्रुपदस्य सा
She performed all duties for the child as if for a son, and guarded the secret with utmost care, being the queen of Drupada.
चकार सर्वयत्नेन ब्रुवणा पुत्र इत्युत । न च तां वेदक नगरे कश्चिदन्यत्र पार्षतात्
With all effort, she called the child 'son,' but in the city, none except Parshata knew the truth.
श्रद्दधानो हि तद्वाक्यं देवस्याच्युततेजसः। छादयामास तां कन्यां पुमानिति च सोब्रवीत्
Trusting the words of the divine, endowed with unerring brilliance, she concealed the daughter and declared her to be a boy.
जातकर्माणि सर्वाणि कारयामास पार्थिवः। पुंवद्विधानयुक्तानि शिखण्डीति च तां विदुः
The king performed all birth rites for the child as for a son; she was known as Shikhandi.
अहमेकस्तु चारेण वचनान्नारदस्य च। ज्ञातवान्देववाक्येन अम्बायास्तपसा तथा
I alone learned the truth by means of spies, by Narada's words, by the divine utterance, and by Amba's austerity.