05.189
duryodhana uvāca॥
Duryodhana said:
kathaṁ śikhaṇḍī gāṅgeya kanyā bhūtvā satī tadā। puruṣo'bhavadyudhi śreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha ॥5-189-1॥
Grandfather, please tell me how Śikhaṇḍī, who was once the daughter of Ganga and a chaste woman, became a man and excelled in battle.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
bhāryā tu tasya rājendra drupadasya mahīpateḥ। mahiṣī dayitā hyāsīdapatrā ca viśāṃ pate ॥5-189-2॥
The wife of King Drupada, O great king, was a beloved queen, but she was childless, O lord of the people.
etasmínneva kāle tu drupado vai mahīpatiḥ। apatya-artham mahārāja toṣayāmāsa śaṅkaram ॥5-189-3॥
At this very time, King Drupada, indeed, sought to please Lord Shankara for the purpose of obtaining a child, O great king.
asmadvadhārthaṃ niścitya tapo ghoraṃ samāsthitaḥ। lebhe kanyāṃ mahādevātputro me syāditi bruvan ॥5-189-4॥
He decided to destroy us and undertook severe penance. He obtained a daughter from Mahadeva, saying, "May my son be."
bhagavanputramicchāmi bhīṣmaṃ praticikīrṣayā। ityukto devadevena strīpumāṃste bhaviṣyati ॥5-189-5॥
O Lord, I wish for a son, Bhishma, with the intention to act. Thus addressed by the god of gods, they will become both male and female.
nivartasva mahīpāla naitajjātvanyathā bhavet। sa tu gatvā ca nagaraṃ bhāryāmidamuvāca ha ॥5-189-6॥
Return, O king, this situation will never change. But he went to the city and indeed said this to his wife.
kṛto yatno mayā devi putrārthe tapasā mahān। kanyā bhūtvā pumānbhāvī iti cokto'smi śambhunā ॥5-189-7॥
O goddess, I have made a great effort with penance for the sake of having a son. I have been told by Śambhu that after being born as a girl, I will become a man.
punaḥ punaryācyamāno diṣṭamityabravīcchivaḥ। na tadanyaddhi bhavitā bhavitavyaṃ hi tattathā ॥5-189-8॥
Shiva, when repeatedly requested, said, "It is destiny." Indeed, what is meant to happen will happen as it is destined.
tataḥ sā niyatā bhūtvā ṛtukāle manasvinī। patnī drupadarājasya drupadaṃ saṃviveśa ha ॥5-189-9॥
Then, at the right time, she, the disciplined and wise wife of King Drupada, entered Drupada.
lebhe garbhaṁ yathākālaṁ vidhidṛṣṭena hetunā। pārṣatātsā mahīpāla yathā māṁ nārado'bravīt ॥5-189-10॥
She conceived at the right time due to the destined cause from Pārṣata, O king, just as Nārada had told me.
tato dadhāra taṃ garbhaṃ devī rājīvalocanā। tāṃ sa rājā priyāṃ bhāryāṃ drupadaḥ kurunandana ॥ putrasnehānmahābāhuḥ sukhaṃ paryacarat tadā ॥5-189-11॥
Then the lotus-eyed goddess conceived. King Drupada, the descendant of Kuru, lovingly attended to his beloved wife, motivated by his affection for their son.
aputrasya tato rājño drupadasya mahīpateḥ। kanyāṃ pravararūpāṃ tāṃ prājāyata narādhipa ॥5-189-12॥
Then, O king, a daughter of exceptional beauty was born to the sonless King Drupada, the lord of the earth.
aputrasya tu rājñaḥ sā drupadasya yaśasvinī। khyāpayāmāsa rājendra putro jāto mameti vai ॥5-189-13॥
The glorious queen of the sonless King Drupada announced, "O king, I have indeed given birth to a son."
tataḥ sa rājā drupadaḥ pracchannāyā narādhipa। putravatputrakāryāṇi sarvāṇi samakārayat ॥5-189-14॥
Then King Drupada, the lord of men, secretly ensured that all duties of a son were performed as if he were his own son.
rakṣaṇaṃ caiva mantrasya mahiṣī drupadasya sā। cakāra sarvayatnena bruvāṇā putra ityuta ॥ na hi tāṃ veda nagare kaścidanyatra pārṣatāt ॥5-189-15॥
The queen of Drupada took great care to protect the mantra, always referring to him as 'son'. Indeed, no one in the city knew her except those from Pārṣata.
śraddadhāno hi tadvākyaṃ devasyādbhutatejasaḥ। chādayāmāsa tāṃ kanyāṃ pumāniti ca so'bravīt ॥5-189-16॥
The faithful one, indeed, covered that girl with the words of the god of wonderful splendor, saying she was a 'man'.
jātakarmāṇi sarvāṇi kārayāmāsa pārthivaḥ। puṃvadvidhānayuktāni śikhaṇḍīti ca tāṃ viduḥ ॥5-189-17॥
The king conducted all the birth ceremonies for her as if she were a male, and she was known as Shikhandi.
ahamekastu cāreṇa vacanānnāradasya ca। jñātavāndevavākyena ambāyāstapasā tathā ॥5-189-18॥
I alone, however, learned through the spy and the words of Nārada, as well as through the divine words and the penance of Ambā.
