ततो ऽपश्यं जामदग्न्यं रथे दिव्ये व्यवस्थितम् ॥
सर्वायुधधरे श्रीमत्य् अद्भुतोपमदर्शने ॥
मनसा विहिते पुण्ये विस्तीर्णे नगरोपमे ॥
दिव्याश्वयुजि संनद्धे काञ्चनेन विभूषिते ॥
ध्वजेन च महाबाहो सोमालंकृतलक्ष्मणा ॥
धनुर्धरो बद्धतूणो बद्धगोधाङ्गुलित्रवान् ॥
सारथ्यं कृतवांस् तत्र युयुत्सोर् अकृतव्रणः ॥
सखा वेदविद् अत्यन्तं दयितो भार्गवस्य ह ॥
आह्वयानः स मां युद्धे मनो हर्षयतीव मे ॥
पुनः पुनर् अभिक्रोशन्न् अभियाहीति भार्गवः ॥
tato 'paśyaṃ jāmadagnyaṃ rathe divye vyavasthitam ||
sarvāyudhadhare śrīmaty adbhutopamadarśane ||
manasā vihite puṇye vistīrṇe nagaropame ||
divyāśvayuji saṃnaddhe kāñcanena vibhūṣite ||
dhvajena ca mahābāho somālaṃkṛtalakṣmaṇā ||
dhanurdharo baddhatūṇo baddhagodhāṅgulitravān ||
sārathyaṃ kṛtavāṃs tatra yuyutsor akṛtavraṇaḥ ||
sakhā vedavid atyantaṃ dayito bhārgavasya ha ||
āhvayānaḥ sa māṃ yuddhe mano harṣayatīva me ||
punaḥ punar abhikrośann abhiyāhīti bhārgavaḥ ||
Then I saw Jamadagnya standing firm on a divine chariot: it bore every weapon, was glorious, wondrous to behold, fashioned by the power of thought, sacred, spacious, resembling a city, yoked with celestial horses, equipped and adorned with gold. Upon it flew a banner marked with the sign of the moon, O mighty-armed one. Rama stood with his bow, his quiver fastened, his leather guard and finger-guards bound on. There Akritavrana, his friend, a knower of the Vedas and especially dear to Bhargava, became his charioteer, as Rama was eager for battle. And Bhargava himself, again and again calling me to battle and crying, 'Come forward!' — seemed to gladden my heart.
ddadaf1a418f · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:36:32 AM UTC
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This chapter shows that even a duel righteous in form remains spiritually perilous when weapons are raised against a teacher and a brahmin. Bhishma strives to keep the dharma: unwilling to strike an opponent on foot from his chariot, he descends before Rama, bows to him, and asks his blessing. Yet the situation itself is already tragic: Rama, a brahmin by nature, takes on the role of a warrior, and Bhishma is forced to distinguish in him the venerable brahminhood from the martial act against which he fights. When Rama is finally covered in blood, compassion and shame for the warrior's deed awaken in Bhishma. Thus the verse shows the limit of outward rightness: dharma demands action, but the heart must not rejoice in violence even when the battle seems unavoidable.