भीष्म उवाच
ततस् तृतीये दिवसे समे देशे व्यवस्थितः ॥
प्रेषयाम् आस मे राजन् प्राप्तो ऽस्मीति महाव्रतः ॥
तम् आगतम् अहं श्रुत्वा विषयान्तं महाबलम् ॥
अभ्यगच्छं जवेनाशु प्रीत्या तेजोनिधिं प्रभुम् ॥
गां पुरस्कृत्य राजेन्द्र ब्राह्मणैः परिवारितः ॥
ऋत्विग्भिर् देवकल्पैश् च तथैव च पुरोहितैः ॥
स माम् अभिगतं दृष्ट्वा जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान् ॥
प्रतिजग्राह तां पूजां वचनं चेदम् अब्रवीत् ॥
भीष्म कां बुद्धिम् आस्थाय काशिराजसुता त्वया ॥
अकामेयम् इहानीता पुनश् चैव विसर्जिता ॥
bhīṣma uvāca
tatas tṛtīye divase same deśe vyavasthitaḥ ||
preṣayām āsa me rājan prāpto 'smīti mahāvrataḥ ||
tam āgatam ahaṃ śrutvā viṣayāntaṃ mahābalam ||
abhyagacchaṃ javenāśu prītyā tejonidhiṃ prabhum ||
gāṃ puraskṛtya rājendra brāhmaṇaiḥ parivāritaḥ ||
ṛtvigbhir devakalpaiś ca tathaiva ca purohitaiḥ ||
sa mām abhigataṃ dṛṣṭvā jāmadagnyaḥ pratāpavān ||
pratijagrāha tāṃ pūjāṃ vacanaṃ cedam abravīt ||
bhīṣma kāṃ buddhim āsthāya kāśirājasutā tvayā ||
akāmeyam ihānītā punaś caiva visarjitā ||
Bhishma said: On the third day, having encamped on level ground, that great votary sent word to me, O king: 'I have arrived.' Hearing that the mighty one, that treasury of splendor, that lord, had reached the edge of my territory, I went forth to meet him swiftly and with affection. O best of kings, I placed a sacred cow before me and was surrounded by brahmins, by godlike ritviks, and by household priests. Seeing that I had come, the mighty son of Jamadagni, blazing with power, accepted this honor and spoke these words: 'Bhishma, on what thought did you rely when this daughter of the king of Kashi was brought here against her will by you, and then again sent away?'
ac0faef3f29b · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:36:31 AM UTC
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Here the clash between Rama Jamadagnya and Bhishma turns from negotiation to an inescapable duel. Rama demands that Bhishma undo the consequences of Amba's forced abduction, but Bhishma answers with his own kshatriya dharma: he cannot hand over a woman whose heart already belongs to another. The dispute becomes a dispute between two vows. Rama stands for refuge and the defense of the wronged; Bhishma stands for his own understanding of royal duty and the purity of his line. Both therefore speak the language of dharma, yet their obligations collide head-on in a conflict that no single speech can now resolve.