न भयान् नाप्य् अनुक्रोशान् न लोभान् नार्थकाम्यया ॥
क्षत्रधर्मम् अहं जह्याम् इति मे व्रतम् आहितम् ॥
अथ माम् अब्रवीद् रामः क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः ॥
न करिष्यसि चेद् एतद् वाक्यं मे कुरुपुंगव ॥
हनिष्यामि सहामात्यं त्वाम् अद्येति पुनः पुनः ॥
संरम्भाद् अब्रवीद् रामः क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः ॥
तम् अहं गीर्भिर् इष्टाभिः पुनः पुनर् अरिंदमम् ॥
अयाचं भृगुशार्दूलं न चैव प्रशशाम सः ॥
तम् अहं प्रणम्य शिरसा भूयो ब्राह्मणसत्तमम् ॥
अब्रुवं कारणं किं तद् यत् त्वं योद्धुम् इहेच्छसि ॥
na bhayān nāpy anukrośān na lobhān nārthakāmyayā ||
kṣatradharmam ahaṃ jahyām iti me vratam āhitam ||
atha mām abravīd rāmaḥ krodhaparyākulekṣaṇaḥ ||
na kariṣyasi ced etad vākyaṃ me kurupuṃgava ||
haniṣyāmi sahāmātyaṃ tvām adyeti punaḥ punaḥ ||
saṃrambhād abravīd rāmaḥ krodhaparyākulekṣaṇaḥ ||
tam ahaṃ gīrbhir iṣṭābhiḥ punaḥ punar ariṃdamam ||
ayācaṃ bhṛguśārdūlaṃ na caiva praśaśāma saḥ ||
tam ahaṃ praṇamya śirasā bhūyo brāhmaṇasattamam ||
abruvaṃ kāraṇaṃ kiṃ tad yat tvaṃ yoddhum ihecchasi ||
'Neither out of fear, nor out of pity, nor out of greed, nor for the sake of gain will I abandon the kshatriya dharma: such is the vow laid upon me.' Then Rama, his eyes clouded with anger, said to me: 'If you will not do as I say, O bull among the Kurus, I will kill you this very day, together with your counselors.' Again and again Rama said this in fury, his eyes clouded with anger. Again and again I entreated that crusher of foes, that tiger of the Bhrigus, with pleasant words, but he would not be calmed. Then, having bowed my head once more before that best of brahmins, I said again: 'What is the reason you wish to fight here?'
de6f67f80aef · 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.