आर्जवेनागतं दृष्ट्वा राजपुत्रं शिखण्डिनम् । सर्वमेव यथावृत्तमाचचक्षे शिखण्डिने
Seeing the prince Śikhaṇḍin come in sincerity, he recounted to Śikhaṇḍin everything exactly as it had happened.
शप्तो वैश्रवणेनाहं त्वत्कृते पार्थिवात्मज । गच्छेदानीं यथाकामं चर लोकान्यथासुखम्
'I have been cursed by Vaiśravaṇa for your sake, O prince; now go wherever you wish, and move through the worlds as you please.'
दिष्टमेतत्पुरा मन्ये न शक्यमतिवर्तितुम् । गमनं तव चेतो हि पौलस्त्यस्य च दर्शनम्
'This, I think, was destined before, and cannot be avoided; your departure and the sight of the son of Pulastya as well.'
एवमुक्तः शिखण्डी तु स्थूणयक्षेण भारत । प्रत्याजगाम नगरं हर्वेण महतावृतः
Thus addressed by Sthūṇa the Yakṣa, Śikhaṇḍin, O Bhārata, returned to the city, surrounded by a great retinue.
पूजयामास विविधैर्गन्धमाल्यैर्महाधनैः । द्विजातीन्देवताश्चैव चैत्यानथ चतुष्पथान्
He honored the foremost of twice-born, the gods, the shrines, and the crossroads with various perfumes, garlands, and great wealth.
द्रुपदः सह पुत्रेण सिद्धार्थेन शिखण्डिना । मुदं च परमां लेभे पाञ्चाल्यः सह बान्धवैः
Drupada, together with his son Siddhārtha and Śikhaṇḍin, and the Pāñcāla with his kinsmen, attained the highest joy.
शिष्यार्थं प्रददौ चाथ द्रोणाय कुरुपुङ्गव । शिखण्डिनं महाराज पुत्रं स्त्रीपूर्विणं तथा
Then, for the sake of his disciple, the best of the Kurus gave Śikhaṇḍin, the son of Drupada—who was formerly female—to Droṇa, O great king.
प्रतिपेदे चतुष्पादं धनुर्वेदं नृपात्मजः। शिखण्डी सह युष्माभिर्धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
The prince, along with you all and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pāṛṣata, mastered the fourfold science of archery together with Śikhaṇḍin.
मम त्वेतच्चरास्तात यथावत्प्रत्यवेदयन् । जडान्धबधिराकारा ये मुक्ता द्रपदे मया
But my spies, O father, reported to me exactly how those whom I had released at Drupada’s place, appearing as dull, blind, or deaf, truly were.
एवमेष महाराज स्त्री पुमान्द्रुपदात्मजः । स संभूतः कुरुश्रेष्ठ शिखण्डी रथसत्तमः
Thus, O great king, this Śikhaṇḍin, son of Drupada, is both woman and man; he was born so, O best of Kurus, and is a foremost chariot-warrior.
ज्येष्ठा काशिपतेः कन्या अम्बा नामेति विश्रुता । द्रुपदस्य कुले जाता शिखण्डी भरतर्षभ
The eldest daughter of the king of Kāśī, renowned as Ambā, was born in the house of Drupada as Śikhaṇḍin, O bull among the Bharatas.
नाहमेनं धनुष्पाणिं युयुत्सुं समुपस्थितम् । मुहूर्तमपि पश्येयं प्रहरेयं न चाप्युत
I could not bear to look, even for a moment, upon this wielder of the bow, ready for battle; nor, indeed, could I strike him.
व्रतमेतन्मम सदा पृथिव्यामपि विश्रुतम् । स्त्रियां स्त्रीपूर्वके चैव स्त्रीनाम्नि स्त्रीसरूपिणि
This is my vow, well-known throughout the earth: against a woman, one who was formerly a woman, one named as a woman, or one appearing as a woman—
न मुञ्चेयमहं बाणमिति कौरवनन्दन । न हन्यामहमेतेन कारणेन शिखण्डिनम्
I would not release an arrow, O joy of the Kurus; for this reason, I would not slay Śikhaṇḍin.
एतत्तत्त्वमहं वेद जन्म तात शिखण्डिनः । ततो नैनं हनिष्यामि समरेष्वाततायिनम्
I know this truth, O father, regarding the birth of Śikhaṇḍin; therefore, even if he attacks me in battle, I will not kill him.
यदि भीष्मः स्त्रियं हन्यात्सन्तः कुर्युर्विगर्हणम् । नैनं तस्माद्धनिष्यामि दृष्ट्वापि समरे स्थितम्
If Bhīṣma were to kill a woman, the virtuous would censure him; therefore, even seeing him standing in battle, I will not slay him.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु करव्यो राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा। मुहूर्तमिव स ध्यात्वा भीष्मे युक्तममन्यत
Hearing this, King Duryodhana then, after pondering for a moment, considered Bhīṣma’s words to be appropriate.
प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां पुनरेव सुतस्तव। मध्ये सर्वस्य सैन्यस्य पितामहमपृच्छत
When night had passed and morning came, your son again, in the midst of the entire army, questioned the grandsire.
पाण्डवेयस्य गाङ्गेय यदेतत्सैन्यमुद्यतम्। प्रभूतनरनागाश्वं महारथसमाकुलम्
O son of Ganga, this army of the Pāṇḍavas, vast with men, elephants, and horses, and crowded with great chariot-warriors, is arrayed for battle.
भीमार्जुनप्रभृतिभिर्महेष्वासैर्महाबलैः । लोकपालसमैर्गुप्तं धृष्टद्युम्नपुरोगमैः
It is protected by mighty archers like Bhīma and Arjuna, equal to the guardians of the world, with Dhṛṣṭadyumna at their head.
अप्रधृष्यमनावार्यमुद्धूतमिव सागरम् । सेनासागरमक्षोभ्यमपि देवार्महाहवे
This ocean-like army, impossible to assault or withstand, surges like the sea; even the gods could not shake this host in a great battle.
केन कालेन गाङ्गेय क्षपयेथा महाद्युते । आचार्यो वा महेष्वासः कृपो वाऽऽशु महाबलः
O son of Ganga, with what means and in how much time could you, or the mighty preceptor, or the powerful Kṛpa, destroy it?
कर्णो वा समरश्लाघी द्रौणिर्वा द्विजसत्तमः । दिव्यास्त्रविदुषः सर्वे भवन्तो हि बले मम
Or Karṇa, famed in battle, or Droṇa’s son, the best of Brahmins—since all of you in my army are skilled in divine weapons.
एतदिच्छाम्यहं ज्ञातुं परं कौतूहलं हि मे। हृदि नित्यं महाबाहो वक्तुमर्हसि तन्मम
This I wish to know; for I am greatly curious, O mighty-armed one. It is ever in my heart—please tell me this.
अनुरूपं कुरुश्रेष्ठ त्वय्येतत्पृथिवीपते। बलाबलममित्राणां तेषां यदिह पृच्छसि
O foremost of the Kurus, O lord of the earth, you ask here about the relative strength and weakness of the enemies; this is appropriate.
श्रृणु राजन्मम रणे या शक्तिः परमा भवेत् । शस्त्रवीर्ये रणे यच्च भुजयोश्च महाभुज
Hear, O king, what supreme power I possess in battle, and the prowess in weapons and in combat that resides in my arms, O mighty-armed one.
आर्जवेनैव युद्धेन योद्धव्य इतरो जनः। मायायुद्धेन मायावी इत्येतद्धर्मनिश्चयः
Ordinary people must fight with straightforwardness alone, but one skilled in illusion should fight with illusion; this is the established rule of dharma.
हन्यामहं महाभाग पाण्डवानामनीकिनीम् । दिवसे दिवसे कृत्वा भागान्भागान्निजान्मम
O greatly fortunate one, I could destroy the army of the Pandavas day by day, dividing it into portions according to my own share.
योधानां दशसाहस्रं कृत्वा भागं महाद्युते । सहस्रं रथिनामेकमेष भागो मतो मम
O illustrious one, my share is reckoned as ten thousand warriors, and among chariot-fighters, a thousand is considered my portion.
अनेनाहं विधानेन सन्नद्धः सततोत्थितः । क्षपयेयं महत्सैन्यं कालेनानेन भारत
By this method, being always armed and ever ready, I could annihilate the great army in this manner, O Bharata, over time.