अहं तु सोमकान्सर्वान्पाञ्चालांश्च समागतान्। निहनिष्ये नरव्याघ्र वर्जयित्वा शिखण्डिनम्
But I will slay all the Somakas and Panchalas who have assembled, O tiger among men, except for Shikhandin.
तैर्वाऽहं निहतः सङ्ख्ये गमिष्ये यमसादनम् । तान्वा निहत्य समरे प्रीतिं दास्याम्यहं तव
Either I will be slain by them in battle and go to the abode of Yama, or, having slain them in combat, I will give you joy.
पूर्व हि स्त्री समुत्पन्ना शिखण्डी राजवेश्मनि । वरदानात्पुमाञ्जातः सैषा वे स्त्री शिखण्डिनी
Formerly, Shikhandi was born a woman in the royal palace; by the granting of a boon, she became a man—this is that same woman, Shikhandini.
तमहं न हनिष्यामि प्राणत्यागेऽपि भारत। याऽसौ प्राङ्वर्मिता धात्रा सैषा वै स्त्री शिखण्डिनी
I will not kill that one, even at the cost of my own life, O Bharata; she who was previously designated as female by the Creator is indeed Shikhandini, a woman.
सुखं स्वपिहि गान्धारे श्वोऽस्मि कर्ता महारणम्। यं जनाः कथयिष्यन्ति यावत्स्थास्यति मेदिनी
Sleep peacefully, O Gandhari's son; tomorrow I will perform a great battle, one that people will speak of as long as the earth endures.
एवमुक्तस्तव सुतो निर्जगाम जनेश्वर। अभिवाद्य गुरुं मूर्ध्ना प्रययौ स्वं निवेशनम्
Thus addressed, your son departed, O lord of men, after bowing with his head to his teacher, and went to his own quarters.
आगम्य तु ततो राजा विसृज्य च महाजनम् । प्रविवेश ततस्तूर्णं क्षयं शत्रुक्षयंकरः
Then the king, having arrived there and dismissed the great assembly, quickly entered his quarters, the destroyer of enemy hosts.
प्रहृष्टः स निशां तां च गमयामास पार्थिवः। प्रभातायां च शर्वर्यां प्रातरुत्थाय तान्नृपः
That king, delighted, passed the night; and when the night had ended, he rose early in the morning.
राज्ञः समाज्ञापयत सेनां योजयतेति ह। अद्य भीष्मो रणे क्रद्धो निहनिष्यति सोमकान्
He ordered the army to be arrayed, saying, 'Today Bhishma, enraged in battle, will slay the Somakas.'
दुर्योधनस्य तच्छ्रुत्वा रात्रौ विलपितं बहु। मन्यमानः स तं राजन्प्रत्यादेशमिवात्मनः
Hearing Duryodhana's many lamentations during the night, the king considered them as if they were his own instructions.
निर्वेदं परमं गत्वा विनिन्द्य परवश्यताम् । दीर्घं दध्यौ शान्तनवो योद्धुकामोऽर्जुनं रणे
Having reached the utmost dejection, condemning his own helplessness, Shantanu's son pondered deeply, desiring to fight Arjuna in battle.
इङ्गितेन तु तज्ज्ञात्वा गाङ्गेयेन विचिन्तितम् । दुर्योधनो महाराज दुःशासनमचोदयत्
Perceiving by his gestures what Ganga's son was thinking, King Duryodhana urged Duhshasana.
दुःशासन रथास्तूर्णं युज्यन्तां भीष्मरक्षिणः । द्वाविंशतिमनीकानि सर्वाण्येवाभिचोदय
Duḥśāsana, quickly harness the chariots for Bhīṣma’s protection; mobilize all twenty-two divisions at once.
अयं हि समनुप्राप्तो वर्षपूगाभिचिन्तितः । पाण्डवानां ससैन्यानां वधो राज्यस्य चागमः
For now has arrived the moment long anticipated over many years: the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas and their army, and the acquisition of the kingdom.
तत्र कार्यमहं मन्ये भीष्मस्यैवाभिरक्षणम्। स नो गुप्तः सहायः स्याद्धन्यात्पार्थांश्च संयुगे
Therefore, I believe our foremost task is to protect Bhīṣma; if he is safeguarded, he will be our ally and defeat the Pāṇḍavas in battle.
अब्रवीद्धि विशुद्धात्मा नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम् । स्त्रीपूर्वको ह्यसौ राजंस्तस्माद्वर्ज्यो मया रणे
He spoke, pure in heart: 'I will not kill Śikhaṇḍin, for he was formerly a woman, O King; thus, I must avoid him in battle.'
लोकस्तद्वेद यदहं पितुः प्रियचिकीर्षया । राज्यं स्फीतं महाबाहो स्त्रियश्च त्यक्तवान्पुरा
The world knows that, out of desire to please my father, I once renounced a prosperous kingdom and women, O mighty-armed one.
नैव चाहं स्त्रियं जातु न स्त्रीपूर्वं कथंचन । हन्यां युधि नरश्रेष्ठ सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
Never would I kill a woman, nor anyone who was formerly a woman, in battle, O best among men; this is the truth I declare to you.
अयं स्त्रीपूर्वको राजञ्छिखण्डी यदि ते श्रुतः। उद्योगे कथितं सर्वं यथा जाता शिखण्डिनी
This Śikhaṇḍī, O King, was formerly a woman, as you have heard; in the preparations, everything was told about how Śikhaṇḍinī was born.
कन्या भूत्वा पुमाञ्जातः स च योत्स्यति भारत । तस्याहं प्रमुखे बाणान्न मुञ्चेयं कथंचन
Having been born a girl, he became a man, and he will fight, O descendant of Bharata; yet I will never release arrows at him, not under any circumstance.
युद्धे हि क्षत्रियांस्तात पाण्डवानां जयैषिणः । सर्वानन्यान्हनिष्यामि संप्राप्तान्रणमूर्धनि
In battle, O father, I will slay all the Kṣatriyas among the Pāṇḍavas who seek victory, except for him, when they come to the forefront of war.
एवं मां भरतश्रेष्ठ गाङ्गेयः प्राह शास्त्रवित् । तत्र सर्वात्मना मन्ये गाङ्गेयस्यैव पालनम्
Thus, O best of the Bharatas, Gāṅgeya, learned in scripture, spoke to me; therefore, I believe with all my heart that Gāṅgeya must be protected.
अरक्ष्यमाणं हि वृको हन्यात्सिंहं महाहवे । मा वृकेणेव गाङ्गेयं घातयेम शिखण्डिना
For if left unguarded, a wolf can kill a lion in a great battle; let us not allow Gāṅgeya to be slain by Śikhaṇḍin, as by a wolf.
मातुलः शकुनिः शल्यः कृपो द्रोणो विविंशतिः। यत्ता रक्षन्तु गाङ्गेयं तस्मिन्गुप्ते ध्रुवो जयः
Let Śakuni, Śalya, Kṛpa, Droṇa, and Viviṃśati, my maternal uncle and others, stand ready to protect Gāṅgeya; with him guarded, victory is certain.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु ते सर्वे दुर्योधनवचस्तदा । सर्वतो रथवंशेन गाङ्गेयं पर्यवारयन्
Upon hearing these words of Duryodhana, all of them then surrounded Gāṅgeya from every side with lines of chariots.
पुत्राश्च तव गाङ्गेयं परिवार्य ययुर्मुदा । कम्पयन्तो भुवं द्यां च क्षोभयन्तश्च पाण्डवान्
Your sons, too, joyfully encircled Gāṅgeya, shaking the earth and sky, and disturbing the Pāṇḍavas.
ते रथैः सुप्रसंयुक्तैर्दन्तिभिश्च महारथाः । परिवार्य रणे भीष्मं दंशिताः समवस्थिताः
Those great warriors, with well-equipped chariots and elephants, surrounded Bhīṣma in battle, standing ready and vigilant.
यथा देवासुरे युद्धे त्रिदशा वज्रधारिणम्। सर्वे ते स्म व्यतिष्ठन्त रक्षन्तस्तं महारथम्
Just as in the battle between gods and demons, the immortals protected the wielder of the thunderbolt, so all of them stood guarding that great chariot-warrior.
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा पुनर्भ्रातरमब्रवीत् । सव्यं चक्रं युधामन्युरुत्तमौजाश्च दक्षिणम्। गोप्तारावर्जुनस्यैतावर्जुनोऽपि शिखण्डिनः
Then King Duryodhana again spoke to his brother: 'Let Yudhāmanyu guard the left wheel, Uttamaujas the right; these are Arjuna’s protectors, and Arjuna himself guards Śikhaṇḍin.'
रक्ष्यमाणः स पार्थेन तथास्माभिर्विवर्जितः । यथा भीष्मं न नो हन्याद्दुःशासन तथा कुरु
Guarded by Arjuna, and avoided by us, let us ensure, Duḥśāsana, that Bhīṣma does not kill him.