स्वर्याते ऽहं पितरि तं स्वराज्ये संन्यवेशयम् ॥
विचित्रवीर्यं राजानं भृत्यो भूत्वा ह्य् अधश्चरः ॥
तस्याहं सदृशान् दारान् राजेन्द्र समुदावहम् ॥
जित्वा पार्थिवसंघातम् अपि ते बहुशः श्रुतम् ॥
ततो रामेण समरे द्वन्द्वयुद्धम् उपागमम् ॥
स हि रामभयाद् एभिर् नागरैर् विप्रवासितः ॥
दारेष्व् अतिप्रसक्तश् च यक्ष्माणं समपद्यत ॥
यदा त्व् अराजके राष्ट्रे न ववर्ष सुरेश्वरः ॥
तदाभ्यधावन् माम् एव प्रजाः क्षुद्भयपीडिताः ॥
प्रजा ऊचुः
उपक्षीणाः प्रजाः सर्वा राजा भव भवाय नः ॥
ईतयो नुद भद्रं ते शंतनोः कुलवर्धन ॥
svaryāte 'haṃ pitari taṃ svarājye saṃnyaveśayam ||
vicitravīryaṃ rājānaṃ bhṛtyo bhūtvā hy adhaścaraḥ ||
tasyāhaṃ sadṛśān dārān rājendra samudāvaham ||
jitvā pārthivasaṃghātam api te bahuśaḥ śrutam ||
tato rāmeṇa samare dvandvayuddham upāgamam ||
sa hi rāmabhayād ebhir nāgarair vipravāsitaḥ ||
dāreṣv atiprasaktaś ca yakṣmāṇaṃ samapadyata ||
yadā tv arājake rāṣṭre na vavarṣa sureśvaraḥ ||
tadābhyadhāvan mām eva prajāḥ kṣudbhayapīḍitāḥ ||
prajā ūcuḥ
upakṣīṇāḥ prajāḥ sarvā rājā bhava bhavāya naḥ ||
ītayo nuda bhadraṃ te śaṃtanoḥ kulavardhana ||
"'When our father had gone to heaven, I installed Vichitravirya as king upon his own throne, and I myself became his servant and subordinate. O lord of kings, I obtained worthy wives for him, having conquered an assembly of kings; this you have heard many times. Then in battle I entered into single combat with Rama. Vichitravirya, however, driven out by these citizens out of fear of Rama, and excessively attached to his wives, fell into consumption. When, the kingdom being without a king, the lord of the gods sent no rain, the subjects, tormented by fear of famine, rushed to me alone. The subjects said: 'All the people are worn out. Become king for our welfare. Drive away these calamities; blessings upon you, continuer of the line of Shantanu.'"'
11d327463f65 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:17 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna recounts to the Pandavas how Bhishma tried to restrain Duryodhana by the force of his own example. The account of Bhishma's own vow shows that the dharma of a family demands not proud possession but self-restraint for the sake of preserving the family and its rightful inheritance.