Shikhandi is Krishna’s weapon to set you free from ego
He is another very curious character in the Mahabharata by birth. He was princess Amba in his previous life, who was abducted by Bheeshma for Vichitraveerya along with her sisters Ambika and Ambalika. But, she told him that she was already engaged with King Shalva. Bheeshma sent her back to Shalva, but the latter refused to marry her. Dejected she came back to Bheeshma and asked him to marry her according to the Kshatriya dharma (the then law of the ruling class). But, Bheeshma expressed his inability to do so quoting his vow of celibacy. This enrages Amba, who does penance and gains a garland of blue lotuses from Kartikeya, the son of Shiva. She goes to Panchal king Drupad to help her fight Bheeshma. But, Drupad expresses his inability to support her for fear of Bheeshma. She even approaches Bheeshma’s guru Parashuram but to no avail. Dejected and rejected, she prays to Shiva and is reborn as Shikhandi to Drupad. Later, Shikhandi becomes Arjuna’s shield on the chariot. Bheeshma spots her reality as Amba. Following his vow not to battle with a woman, he doesn’t use any weapon against her. Hiding behind Shikhandi, Arjuna releases a barrage of arrows at him, which eventually kills Bheeshma. Ashwatthama kills Shikhandi on the last day of the battle in a sneak attack.
Real import
But, this is history. Ambah in Sanskrit means an eye. Female form Amba, therefore, means the power of eye—that is perception. You can’t see without the power of perception. Amba loves Shalva king. Shalva king’s ancestors are king Satyavan and queen Savitri — they stand for the truth and the power of truth respectively. Shalva, therefore, represents both as virtue personified. Bheeshma (ego) abducts the power of perception and releases it. But, Shalva rejects her and Amba is reborn as Shikhandi. This means ego’s intervention doesn’t allow virtue to own the power of perception. Therefore, when the power of perception is not qualified by virtue, it becomes Shikhandi—doubt personified. Doubt is a weapon to kill ego. That is why Bheeshma surrenders before Shikhandi and Arjuna attacks him taking the advantage. Shikhandi means, anything with a rounded tuft on the head. It represents a brahamchari with his tuft tied at the back of the shaven head to represent a vow a celibacy which keeps his energies directed upwards like an arrow. It is the brahmachari’s weapon and vow both. Shikhandi also means an arrow. Likewise, doubt (neither here nor there) is like an arrow to kill ego. Krishna in the Gita calls it Sanshay in Chapter 4 shlok 40. Sanshay atma vinshayati (doubting soul is destroyed). However, here the word Atma has been used for ego, which is the last of the eight levels of one’s natural identity (ahamkar iteeyam mey bhinna prakritiashtadha, chapter 7/shlok 4). Earlier in chapter 2, Krishna gave the real attributes to atma as indestructible existence. Therefore, atma in the context of doubt means ego, which is part of the eight-fold nature. It is literally neutralised by doubt. That is the reason Shikhandi becomes the instrument of Bheesma’s killing.
Garland of blue lotuses
Shikhandi wears the garland of blue lotuses granted in boon to him by Kartikeya, saying the wearer of it will kill Bheeshma. The blue lotus garland represents the vissuddhi chakra. The yogashastras declare that once a person reaches this level, he or she enters the state of ego-less-ness or gains union with the infinite. This means doubt chases the ego till this level. After that both are killed. Ashwatthama, the fiery network of energy channels, dissolves the doubt after the latter has neutralised the ego. This is the gateway to the infinite. The yogi gains everything infinite here—infinite, knowledge, infinite power and infinite age. Why? Because, the major separators—doubt and ego are gone. This leads to the single-door entry to the Creator’s abode.
Takeaway: Remember! When the power of perception is abducted by ego, doubt is born. Doubt is God’s weapon to neutralise your ego. (not allowed to reveal further) That is the reason why you get depressed when you are unable to resolve something. Even Arjuna got depressed due to doubt. The only way is to surrender yourself to the will of God. No option. Because, He takes over where you leave!
Next: Who is Jayadratha?
Vivek Sharma
Vivek Sharma