भीष्म उवाच
एवम् उक्तस् तदा रामो जहि भीष्मम् इति प्रभो ॥
उवाच रुदतीं कन्यां चोदयन्तीं पुनः पुनः ॥
काश्ये कामं न गृह्णामि शस्त्रं वै वरवर्णिनि ॥
ऋते ब्रह्मविदां हेतोः किम् अन्यत् करवाणि ते ॥
वाचा भीष्मश् च शाल्वश् च मम राज्ञि वशानुगौ ॥
भविष्यतो ऽनवद्याङ्गि तत् करिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥
न तु शस्त्रं ग्रहीष्यामि कथं चिद् अपि भामिनि ॥
ऋते नियोगाद् विप्राणाम् एष मे समयः कृतः ॥
अम्बोवाच
मम दुःखं भगवता व्यपनेयं यतस् ततः ॥
तत् तु भीष्मप्रसूतं मे तं जहीश्वर माचिरम् ॥
bhīṣma uvāca
evam uktas tadā rāmo jahi bhīṣmam iti prabho ||
uvāca rudatīṃ kanyāṃ codayantīṃ punaḥ punaḥ ||
kāśye kāmaṃ na gṛhṇāmi śastraṃ vai varavarṇini ||
ṛte brahmavidāṃ hetoḥ kim anyat karavāṇi te ||
vācā bhīṣmaś ca śālvaś ca mama rājñi vaśānugau ||
bhaviṣyato 'navadyāṅgi tat kariṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||
na tu śastraṃ grahīṣyāmi kathaṃ cid api bhāmini ||
ṛte niyogād viprāṇām eṣa me samayaḥ kṛtaḥ ||
ambovāca
mama duḥkhaṃ bhagavatā vyapaneyaṃ yatas tataḥ ||
tat tu bhīṣmaprasūtaṃ me taṃ jahīśvara māciram ||
Bhishma said: When Rama was thus told, 'Kill Bhishma,' O lord, he turned to the weeping maiden, who kept urging him again and again: 'O princess of Kashi, O beautiful one, I do not take up arms at my own will, save for the sake of the knowers of Brahman. What else shall I do for you? By my word alone Bhishma and Shalva, O princess, shall be brought under my sway. O flawless one, this I will do — do not grieve. But I will never take up arms, O beautiful one, except at the bidding of the brahmins: such is the vow I have made.' Amba said: 'My suffering must be removed by you, O venerable one, by whatever means it may be done. But it was caused by Bhishma; kill him, O lord, without delay.'
68e027c50e99 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:36:31 AM UTC
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In this chapter Rama first tries to settle the matter by word alone: he promises to bring Bhishma and Shalva under the sway of his speech and recalls that he takes up arms only under a special obligation. But Amba does not accept so gentle a resolution: her plea has already become a demand for rightful retribution. Akritavrana reinforces her position, reminding Rama of his own vow to protect those who take refuge in him and to punish arrogant kshatriya might. Thus word, vow, and refuge come together: Rama approaches Bhishma first as a teacher, yet already ready to act as a warrior should righteous speech be refused.