Critical Edition
दुर्योधन उवाच कथं शिखण्डी गाङ्गेय कन्या भूत्वा सती तदा पुरुषोऽभवद्युधि श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Duryodhana said Tell me, O grandsire, how Shikhandin, who had been before a daughter, O son of Ganga, became a man. O foremost of warriors.
भीष्म उवाच भार्या तु तस्य राजेन्द्र द्रुपदस्य महीपतेः महिषी दयिता ह्यासीदपुत्रा च विशां पते
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said The chosen and beloved queen of king Drupada, O great king, was childless at first, O monarch.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु द्रुपदो वै महीपतिः अपत्यार्थं महाराज तोषयामास शंकरम्
M. N. Dutt: And during this time the highly intelligent king Drupada, pleased by worship, O mighty king, the God Shankara for the sake of offspring.
अस्मद्वधार्थं निश्चित्य तपो घोरं समास्थितः लेभे कन्यां महादेवात्पुत्रो मे स्यादिति ब्रुवन्
M. N. Dutt: Resolving to bring about my destruction, he took to the severest penances, and said “Let mine be a son, and not a daughter, 0 Mahadeva;
भगवन्पुत्रमिच्छामि भीष्मं प्रतिचिकीर्षया इत्युक्तो देवदेवेन स्त्रीपुमांस्ते भविष्यति
M. N. Dutt: O God, I desire a son, to revenge myself on Bhishma.” Then this was said (to him) by Mahadeva, "Your son shall be both male and female.
निवर्तस्व महीपाल नैतज्जात्वन्यथा भवेत् स तु गत्वा च नगरं भार्यामिदमुवाच ह
M. N. Dutt: Desist therefore, O protector of the earth, it shall never be otherwise." He (king Drupada) entering his city said to his wife.
कृतो यत्नो मया देवि पुत्रार्थे तपसा महान् कन्या भूत्वा पुमान्भावी इति चोक्तोऽस्मि शंभुना
M. N. Dutt: "I have made a great exertion; O goddess, I have worshipped Shambhu by penances, and I have been told by him. “Your offspring) will first be a female and will then become a man."
पुनः पुनर्याच्यमानो दिष्टमित्यब्रवीच्छिवः न तदन्यद्धि भविता भवितव्यं हि तत्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Though repeatedly solicited, Shiva only said “It is decreed by destiny. It shall not be otherwise, but when as I have told you”.
ततः सा नियता भूत्वा ऋतुकाले मनस्विनी पत्नी द्रुपदराजस्य द्रुपदं संविवेश ह
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon that lady of great force of mind kept her mind rigidly pure and the wife of king Drupada, at the proper time went to king Drupada.
लेभे गर्भं यथाकालं विधिदृष्टेन हेतुना पार्षतात्सा महीपाल यथा मां नारदोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Agreeably to the decrees of destiny the wife of Prishata, in due time, conceived, as Narada informed me, O ruler of the Earth.
ततो दधार तं गर्भं देवी राजीवलोचना तां स राजा प्रियां भार्यां द्रुपदः कुरुनन्दन पुत्रस्नेहान्महाबाहुः सुखं पर्यचरत्तदा
M. N. Dutt: And that goddess, whose eyes resembled the petals on the lotus, continued to hold her fetus. And to that dear wife, O son of Kuru, king Drupada,
Supplementary Passages:
5.189.11 After 11, N (Dn2 missing) ins.: *584 सर्वानभिप्रायकृतान्कामाँल्लेभे च कौरव
अपुत्रस्य ततो राज्ञो द्रुपदस्य महीपतेः कन्यां प्रवररूपां तां प्राजायत नराधिप
AI Translation: Then, O king, a daughter of the king Drupada, who had no son, was born, O king, that most excellent maiden.
Supplementary Passages:
5.189.12 After 12ab, N (Dn2 missing) ins.: *585 यथाकालं तु सा देवी महिषी द्रुपदस्य ह
अपुत्रस्य तु राज्ञः सा द्रुपदस्य यशस्विनी ख्यापयामास राजेन्द्र पुत्रो जातो ममेति वै
AI Translation: The glorious Drupada, the son of Prthu, had no son. "O lord of kings, she announced, ""A son has been born to me."""
ततः स राजा द्रुपदः प्रच्छन्नाया नराधिप पुत्रवत्पुत्रकार्याणि सर्वाणि समकारयत्
AI Translation: Then that king Drupada, O king, performed all the duties of a son for the concealed one, as if she were his own son.
रक्षणं चैव मन्त्रस्य महिषी द्रुपदस्य सा चकार सर्वयत्नेन ब्रुवाणा पुत्र इत्युत न हि तां वेद नगरे कश्चिदन्यत्र पार्षतात्
M. N. Dutt: O lord of men, (he) caused all the necessary rites to be performed just as if it were a son. And the imperial wife of Drupada protected the secret with all due care, saying, "This is a son indeed.” And neither did any one else other than the son of Prishata know (the child to be a) daughter, in all that city.
श्रद्दधानो हि तद्वाक्यं देवस्याद्भुततेजसः छादयामास तां कन्यां पुमानिति च सोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Reverencing the words of that god of immeasurable glory, he kept to himself that she was a daughter, and said, “This is a male child."
जातकर्माणि सर्वाणि कारयामास पार्थिवः पुंवद्विधानयुक्तानि शिखण्डीति च तां विदुः
M. N. Dutt: And that king caused all the rites prescribed for a son during infancy to be performed according to all due ordinances, and named her Shikhandin.
अहमेकस्तु चारेण वचनान्नारदस्य च ज्ञातवान्देववाक्येन अम्बायास्तपसा तथा
M. N. Dutt: I alone, by means of spies, and through the words of Narada, and through the words of the god (Shiva) and also from the austerities of Amba, was informed (of the child being a son).