ततो ऽहम् अब्रुवं देवीम् अभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः ॥
सर्वं तद् भरतश्रेष्ठ यथावृत्तं स्वयंवरे ॥
यथा च रामो राजेन्द्र मया पूर्वं प्रसादितः ॥
काशिराजसुतायाश् च यथा कामः पुरातनः ॥
ततः सा रामम् अभ्येत्य जननी मे महानदी ॥
मदर्थं तम् ऋषिं देवी क्षमयाम् आस भार्गवम् ॥
भीष्मेण सह मा योत्सीः शिष्येणेति वचो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
स च ताम् आह याचन्तीं भीष्मम् एव निवर्तय ॥
न हि मे कुरुते कामम् इत्य् अहं तम् उपागमम् ॥
संजय उवाच
ततो गङ्गा सुतस्नेहाद् भीष्मं पुनर् उपागमत् ॥
न चास्याः सो ऽकरोद् वाक्यं क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः ॥
tato 'ham abruvaṃ devīm abhivādya kṛtāñjaliḥ ||
sarvaṃ tad bharataśreṣṭha yathāvṛttaṃ svayaṃvare ||
yathā ca rāmo rājendra mayā pūrvaṃ prasāditaḥ ||
kāśirājasutāyāś ca yathā kāmaḥ purātanaḥ ||
tataḥ sā rāmam abhyetya jananī me mahānadī ||
madarthaṃ tam ṛṣiṃ devī kṣamayām āsa bhārgavam ||
bhīṣmeṇa saha mā yotsīḥ śiṣyeṇeti vaco 'bravīt ||
sa ca tām āha yācantīṃ bhīṣmam eva nivartaya ||
na hi me kurute kāmam ity ahaṃ tam upāgamam ||
saṃjaya uvāca
tato gaṅgā sutasnehād bhīṣmaṃ punar upāgamat ||
na cāsyāḥ so 'karod vākyaṃ krodhaparyākulekṣaṇaḥ ||
Then, having bowed to the goddess with folded palms, I told her everything, O best of the Bharatas: how it all happened at the svayamvara, how I had earlier propitiated Rama, O king of kings, and what the old desire of the daughter of the king of Kashi had been. Then my mother, the great river, went to Rama and, for my sake, began to propitiate that sage, Bhargava. 'Do not fight with Bhishma, your disciple,' said the goddess. But he answered her as she pleaded: 'Stop Bhishma himself. For he does not fulfill my wish.' So I came to him. Sanjaya said: Then Ganga, out of love for her son, approached Bhishma again, but he, his eyes clouded with anger, did not heed her words.
cd498d6a63e9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:36:32 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
In this chapter the dispute finally takes the form of a ritually staged duel. Bhishma accepts Rama's challenge not as a personal quarrel but as a kshatriya's duty: with blessings, a white chariot, weapons, and a public departure for Kurukshetra. The color white marks that he goes into battle not out of base fury but as one who holds himself true to his vow. Yet Ganga's appearance reveals the tragic side of dharma: a mother sees that two great vows are leading to ruin, and she tries to stop the fight. Neither Rama nor Bhishma can now yield without betraying his own understanding of truth.