दुर्योधन उवाच कथं शिखण्डी गाङ्गेय कन्या भूत्वा पुरा तदा। पुरुषोऽभूद् युधिश्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
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 दुपदस्य महीपतेः। महिषी दयिता ह्यासीदपुत्रा च विशाम्पते।॥
Bhishma said The chosen and beloved queen of king Drupada, O great king, was childless at first, O monarch.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु दुपदो वै महीपतिः। अपत्यार्थ महाराज तोषयामास शङ्करम्॥
And during this time the highly intelligent king Drupada, pleased by worship, O mighty king, the God Shankara for the sake of offspring.
अस्मद्वधार्थ निश्चित्य तपो घोरं समास्थितः। ऋते कन्यां महादेव पुत्रो मे स्यादिति ब्रुवन्॥
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;
भगवन् पुत्रमिच्छामि भीष्मं प्रतिचिकीर्षया। इत्युक्तो देवदेवेन स्त्रीपुमांस्ते भविष्यति॥
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 न नगरं भार्यामिदमुवाच ह॥
Desist therefore, O protector of the earth, it shall never be otherwise." He (king Drupada) entering his city said to his wife.
कृतो यत्नो महादेवस्तपसाऽऽराधितो मया। कन्या भृत्वा पुमान् भावी इति चोक्तोऽस्मि शम्भुना।।७।
"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 तदन्यच्च भविता भवितव्यं हि तत् तथा॥
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 दुपदराजस्य दुपदं प्रविवेश ह॥
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 गर्भ यथाकालं विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा। पार्षतस्य महीपाल यथा मां नारदोऽब्रवीत्॥
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 सा देवी गर्भ राजीवलोचना। तां स राजा प्रियां भार्यां दुपदः कुरुनन्दन॥
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,
पुत्रस्नेहान्महाबाहुः सुखं पर्यचरत् तदा। सर्वानभिप्रायकृतान् भार्याऽलभत कौरव॥
The mighty-armed one, on account of his affection for his son, ordered all that was agreeable. And O Kaurava, his wife obtained everything that she desired.
अपुत्रस्य सतो राज्ञो दुपदस्य महीपतेः। यथाकालं तु सा देवी महिषी दुपदस्य ह॥
And in due time that goddess, the queen of the childless lord of earth, king Drupada,
कन्यां प्रवररूपां तु प्राजायत नराधिपा अपुत्रस्य तु राज्ञः सा दुपदस्य मनस्विनी॥
Even that lady of great force of mind, O lord of men, gave birth to a daughter of great beauty.
ख्यापयामास राजेन्द्रं पुत्रो ह्येष ममेति वै। ततः स राजा द्रुपदः प्रच्छन्नाया नराधिप॥
O great king, thereupon the king Drupada gave out to all, this is my son, and for this daughter, who was concealed.
पुत्रवत् पुत्रकार्याणि सर्वाणि समकारयत्। रक्षणं चैव मन्त्रस्य महिषी द्रुपदस्य सा॥ चकार सर्वयत्नेन ब्रुवाणा पुत्र इत्युत। न च तां वेद नगरे कश्चिदन्यत्र पार्षतात्॥
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 देवस्याच्युततेजसः। छादयामास तां कन्यां पुमानिति च सोऽब्रवीत्॥
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॥
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। ज्ञातवान् देववाक्येन अम्बायास्तपसा तथा॥
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).