Shikhandi

Warning! This page contains spoilers for *Aru Shah and the City of Gold*. Enter at your own risk.

## Biological Information

### Parents

King Drupada (father)Queen of Panchala (mother)

### Birth Place

Kashi (previous life)Panchala (next life)

## Appearance

### Appears in

*Aru Shah and the City of Gold*

**Shikhandi** is one of the heroes of the Mahabharata. In a previous life, he was Princess Amba, who swore revenge on Bhishma for ruining her life. Amba performed lots of penance to be the one to kill the invincible Bhishma, and did so in her reincarnation as Shikhandi.

## History

### In the Mahabharata

#### Previous Life

Shikhandi had been born in his previous life as Princess Amba of Kingdom of Kashi. She was the eldest daughter among her two other sisters, Ambika and Ambalika.

She, along with her sisters, were taken as the brides of Hastinapur by Bhishma after defeating several suitors, including King Salwa of Saubala, who was secretly in love with Amba.

Once taken to Hastinapur, Amba rejected Vichitraveerya and so Bhishma left her. When she went to Salwa, he rejected her saying that Bhishma rightfully won her, hence he was the one she should be wed with.

But Bhishma had taken a vow of celibacy. Enraged at the helpless state, Amba committed suicide and vowed to be the one to finish Bhishma's life in her next incarnation.

### Birth

Shikandi was the only child of the royal family of Panchala, until Draupadi and Drishtadyumma were born through the sacrificial fire.

### In the War

In the battle of Kurukshetra, when Shikhandi is brought upon the battlefield, Bhishma instantly recognises him and refuses to raise his weapons, as Shikhandi was a woman in his previous life. Hence, taking advantage, Arjuna shoots Bhishma from behind, leading to the grand-sire's death.

## *The Pandava Quintet*

### *Aru Shah and the City of Gold*

Shikandi makes an appearance, when the Potatoes' doppelgängers have vanished. As Aru reaches for Kubera's eye, within the blue lotus, a pair of hands appear out of them to reveal Shikhandi, in a royal purple suit.

When the Potatoes ask if he can heal Kara, he replies with a no, but claims that light could heal her. He introduces himself as a guardian of revenge and regret, two sides of the same coin, who was sent by Kubera to test them.

He proceeded to tell the Potatoes about his story, about how revenge would only end in destruction. When asked if he would fight on their side, he replies that his fighting days are over and that this battle was theirs to win before disappearing, only to leave behind a blue lotus petal.

## Appearance

Shikhandi looked like a prince from ancient times. His silk jacket and trousers were dyed a rich purple that stood out against the soft brown of his skin. A circlet of pearls held back his black curls. He had shockingly blue eyes the precise color of the lotus petals.

## Personality

Shikhandi, in the books, is shown to be a calm man, who had grown old with a large amount of wisdom and knowledge.

## Etymology

* The word **Shikhandi** means "peacock" in Hindi.

## Trivia

* In a different version of the myths, Shikhandi is said to have been born as a female, only to trade her feminity with a Yaksha.