Shikhandi faces Bheeshma, who refuses to fight him. Arjuna uses this moment to strike Bheeshma down, ending the grandsire’s command on the battlefield.
On the tenth day of the Kurukshetra War, the Pandavas executed a strategy to neutralize Bhīṣma, the invincible Kaurava commander. Shikhandi, born as a woman in a previous life and later transformed into a male, had a unique place in the epic, as Bhīṣma had vowed not to fight someone who had been born female. During a fierce encounter on the battlefield, Shikhandi advanced against Bhīṣma, holding his formation and provoking the grandsire into engagement. True to his vow, Bhīṣma refused to lift weapons against Shikhandi, effectively making himself vulnerable. Observing this, Arjuna, serving as Shikhandi’s charioteer and strategic partner, seized the opportunity. Using his unparalleled skill with the Gandeeva bow and celestial weapons, Arjuna launched a series of precise and devastating attacks, striking Bhīṣma repeatedly and wounding him severely. The combined tactic of Shikhandi as a shield and Arjuna as the executor succeeded in bringing down the mighty commander, forcing Bhīṣma to leave the battlefield and temporarily ending his command over the Kaurava forces. This moment marked a pivotal turning point, demonstrating the Pandavas’ strategic ingenuity and the decisive use of psychology, vows, and alliances in warfare, rather than relying solely on brute strength.
