Shikhandi Is Born a Girl and Raised as a Son

Verse 1 (5.188.1)

कथं शिखण्डी गाङ्गेय कन्या भूत्वा पुरा तदा । पुरुषोऽभूद्युधिश्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

kathaṃ śikhaṇḍī gāṅgeya kanyā bhūtvā purā tadā | puruṣo'bhūdyudhiśreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha

How, son of Ganga, did Shikhandi, who was formerly a girl, then become a man, O best of warriors? Tell me that, grandsire.

Note on the text: Corrected कन्यां → कन्या (misprint in Wikisource; a stray anusvara makes the predicate accusative; the critical edition reads kanyā bhūtvā).

Verse 2 (5.188.2)

भार्या तु तस्य राजेन्द्र द्रुपदस्य महीपतेः । महिषी दयिता ह्यासीदपुत्रा च विशांपते ॥

bhāryā tu tasya rājendra drupadasya mahīpateḥ | mahiṣī dayitā hyāsīdaputrā ca viśāṃpate

The wife of King Drupada, lord of the earth, O king of kings, was his beloved chief queen, and she had no son, lord of the people.

Verse 3 (5.188.3)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु द्रुपदो वै महीपतिः । अपत्यार्थे महाराज तोषयामास शङ्करम् ॥

etasminneva kāle tu drupado vai mahīpatiḥ | apatyārthe mahārāja toṣayāmāsa śaṅkaram

At that very time, great king, Drupada, lord of the earth, was seeking to please Shankara in order to have offspring.

Verse 4 (5.188.4)

अस्मद्वधार्थं निश्चित्य तपो घोरं समास्थितः । ऋते कन्यां महादेव पुत्रो मे स्यादिति ब्रुवन् ॥

asmadvadhārthaṃ niścitya tapo ghoraṃ samāsthitaḥ | ṛte kanyāṃ mahādeva putro me syāditi bruvan

Resolved on my death, he undertook fierce austerities, saying, "Let me have a son, O Mahadeva, not a daughter."

Note on the text: Corrected अस्माद्वधार्थं → अस्मद्वधार्थं (misprint in Wikisource; a stray vowel sign, asmad-vadhārtham "for my death"; the critical edition reads asmadvadhārthaṃ). Inserted the missing word break in मे स्यादिति (run together in Wikisource). ऋते कन्यां महादेव (CE lebhe kanyāṃ mahādevāt) kept as a variant.

Verse 5 (5.188.5)

भगवन्पुत्रमिच्छामि भीष्मं प्रतिचिकीर्षया । इत्युक्तो देवदेवेन स्त्रीपुमांस्ते भविष्यति ॥

bhagavanputramicchāmi bhīṣmaṃ praticikīrṣayā | ityukto devadevena strīpumāṃste bhaviṣyati

"Lord, I want a son, to take my revenge on Bhishma." Thus addressed, the god of gods said: "You shall have a child who is woman and man.

Verse 6 (5.188.6)

निवर्तस्व महीपाल नैतज्जात्वन्यथा भवेत् । स तु गत्वा च नगरं भार्यामिदमुवाच ह ॥

nivartasva mahīpāla naitajjātvanyathā bhavet | sa tu gatvā ca nagaraṃ bhāryāmidamuvāca ha

Turn back, protector of the earth; this can never be otherwise." He went back to the city and said this to his wife:

Note on the text: Corrected नैतञ्जात्वन्यथा → नैतज्जात्वन्यथा (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्ज for ज्ज, etat + jātu; the critical edition reads naitaj jātv anyathā).

Verse 7 (5.188.7)

कृतो यत्नो महादेवस्तपसाऽऽराधितो मया । कन्या भूत्वा पुमान्भावी इति चोक्तोस्मि शंभुना ॥

kṛto yatno mahādevastapasā''rādhito mayā | kanyā bhūtvā pumānbhāvī iti coktosmi śaṃbhunā

"I have made the effort; I have worshipped Mahadeva with austerity, and Shambhu has told me, 'She will be born a girl and become a man.'

Note on the text: Speaker set to Drupada: the verse is wholly his speech to his wife, introduced by verse 6 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 8 (5.188.8)

पुनः पुनर्याच्यमानो दिष्टमित्यब्रवीच्छिवः । न तदन्यच्च भविता भवितव्यं हि तत्तथा ॥

punaḥ punaryācyamāno diṣṭamityabravīcchivaḥ | na tadanyacca bhavitā bhavitavyaṃ hi tattathā

Though I begged him again and again, Shiva said, 'It is fated.' It will not be otherwise; what must be will be just so."

Note on the text: Inserted the missing word break in न तदन्यच्च (run together in Wikisource). Speaker set to Drupada: the verse is wholly his speech to his wife, introduced by verse 6 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 9 (5.188.9)

ततः सा नियता भूत्वा ऋतुकाले मनस्विनी । पत्नी द्रुपदराजस्य द्रुपदं प्रविवेश ह ॥

tataḥ sā niyatā bhūtvā ṛtukāle manasvinī | patnī drupadarājasya drupadaṃ praviveśa ha

Then, in her season, that resolute woman, King Drupada's wife, having kept the observances, went to Drupada.

Verse 10 (5.188.10)

लेभे गर्भं यथाकालं विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा । पार्षतस्य महीपाल यथा मां नारदोऽब्रवीत् ॥

lebhe garbhaṃ yathākālaṃ vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā | pārṣatasya mahīpāla yathā māṃ nārado'bravīt

In due time, by the act the ordinance prescribes, she conceived Parshata's child, O protector of the earth, as Narada told me.

Verse 11 (5.188.11)

ततो दधार सा देवी गर्भं राजीवलोचना । तां स राजा प्रियां भार्यां द्रुपदः कुरुनन्दन ॥

tato dadhāra sā devī garbhaṃ rājīvalocanā | tāṃ sa rājā priyāṃ bhāryāṃ drupadaḥ kurunandana

Then the lotus-eyed queen carried the child; and King Drupada, O joy of the Kurus, tended that beloved wife of his

Note on the text: This verse is CE 5.189.11ab–cd; the critical edition divides verses 11–17 differently (CE 5.189.11–15), so the alignment left them unmatched.

Verse 12 (5.188.12)

पुत्रस्नेहान्महाबाहुः सुखं पर्यचरत्तदा । सर्वानभिप्रायकृतान्भार्याऽलभत कौरव ॥

putrasnehānmahābāhuḥ sukhaṃ paryacarattadā | sarvānabhiprāyakṛtānbhāryā'labhata kaurava

happily then, the mighty-armed king, out of love for the son to come; and the queen obtained everything she wished for, O Kaurava.

Note on the text: Corrected मुखं → सुखं (misprint in Wikisource; म for स, "face" for "happily"; the critical edition reads sukhaṃ paryacarat). The first line is CE 5.189.11ef; the second is not in the critical edition's text — its apparatus has it as 5.189.11f*0584 (sarvān abhiprāyakṛtān kāmāṃl lebhe ca kaurava; Wikisource's wording kept).

Verse 13 (5.188.13)

अपुत्रस्य सतो राज्ञो द्रुपदस्य महीपतेः । यथाकालं तु सा देवी महिषी द्रुपदस्य ह ॥

aputrasya sato rājño drupadasya mahīpateḥ | yathākālaṃ tu sā devī mahiṣī drupadasya ha

Then, in due time, the queen, the chief consort of Drupada — of that king and lord of the earth who had no son —

Note on the text: The first line is CE 5.189.12ab (सतो for tato kept as a variant); the second is not in the critical edition's text — its apparatus has it as 5.189.12b*0585. The critical edition divides verses 11–17 differently (CE 5.189.11–15), so the alignment left them unmatched.

Verse 14 (5.188.14)

कन्यां प्रवररूपां तु प्राजायत नराधिप । अपुत्रस्य तु राज्ञः सा द्रुपदस्य मनस्विनी ॥

kanyāṃ pravararūpāṃ tu prājāyata narādhipa | aputrasya tu rājñaḥ sā drupadasya manasvinī

gave birth to a daughter of surpassing beauty, lord of men. But the resolute wife of the sonless King Drupada

Note on the text: The first line is CE 5.189.12cd, the second CE 5.189.13ab (मनस्विनी for yaśasvinī kept as a variant); the critical edition divides these verses differently.

Verse 15 (5.188.15)

ख्यापयामास राजेन्द्र पुत्रो ह्येष ममेति वै । ततः स राजा द्रुपदः प्रच्छन्नाया नराधिप ॥

khyāpayāmāsa rājendra putro hyeṣa mameti vai | tataḥ sa rājā drupadaḥ pracchannāyā narādhipa

proclaimed, O king of kings, "This is my son." Then King Drupada, O lord of men, for the hidden girl

Note on the text: Corrected द्रुपद → द्रुपदः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped visarga — Drupada is the subject of समकारयत्; the critical edition reads drupadaḥ). The first line is CE 5.189.13cd, the second CE 5.189.14ab (the critical edition divides these verses differently).

Verse 16 (5.188.16)

पुत्रवत्पुत्रकार्याणि सर्वाणि समकारयत् । रक्षणं चैव मन्त्रस्य महिषी द्रुपदस्य सा ॥

putravatputrakāryāṇi sarvāṇi samakārayat | rakṣaṇaṃ caiva mantrasya mahiṣī drupadasya sā

had all the rites belonging to a son performed, as for a son. And Drupada's chief queen guarded the secret

Note on the text: The first line is CE 5.189.14cd, the second CE 5.189.15ab (the critical edition divides these verses differently).

Verse 17 (5.188.17)

चकार सर्वयत्नेन ब्रुवाणा पुत्र इत्युत । न च तां वेद नगरे कश्चिदन्यत्र पार्षतात् ॥

cakāra sarvayatnena bruvāṇā putra ityuta | na ca tāṃ veda nagare kaścidanyatra pārṣatāt

with every care, calling the child her son; and no one in the city knew of it except Parshata.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रुवणा → ब्रुवाणा and वेदक → वेद (misprints in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign and a stray akshara; the critical edition reads bruvāṇā and veda). This verse is CE 5.189.15cd–ef (the critical edition divides these verses differently).

Verse 18 (5.188.18)

श्रद्दधानो हि तद्वाक्यं देवस्याच्युततेजसः । छादयामास तां कन्यां पुमानिति च सोब्रवीत् ॥

śraddadhāno hi tadvākyaṃ devasyācyutatejasaḥ | chādayāmāsa tāṃ kanyāṃ pumāniti ca sobravīt

Trusting the word of the god of unfading splendour, he concealed that girl and said, "It is a boy."

Verse 19 (5.188.19)

जातकर्माणि सर्वाणि कारयामास पार्थिवः । पुंवद्विधानयुक्तानि शिखण्डीति च तां विदुः ॥

jātakarmāṇi sarvāṇi kārayāmāsa pārthivaḥ | puṃvadvidhānayuktāni śikhaṇḍīti ca tāṃ viduḥ

The king had all the birth rites performed in the manner prescribed for a boy, and people knew her as Shikhandi.

Verse 20 (5.188.20)

अहमेकस्तु चारेण वचनान्नारदस्य च । ज्ञातवान्देववाक्येन अम्बायास्तपसा तथा ॥

ahamekastu cāreṇa vacanānnāradasya ca | jñātavāndevavākyena ambāyāstapasā tathā

I alone knew the truth, through a spy and through Narada's words, through the god's word and through Amba's austerity.