तम् आदित्यम् इवोद्यन्तम् अनाधृष्यं महाबलम् ॥
क्षत्रियान्तकरं रामम् एकम् एकः समासदम् ॥
ततो ऽहं बाणपातेषु त्रिषु वाहान् निगृह्य वै ॥
अवतीर्य धनुर् न्यस्य पदातिर् ऋषिसत्तमम् ॥
अभ्यगच्छं तदा रामम् अर्चिष्यन् द्विजसत्तमम् ॥
अभिवाद्य चैनं विधिवद् अब्रुवं वाक्यम् उत्तमम् ॥
योत्स्ये त्वया रणे राम विशिष्टेनाधिकेन च ॥
गुरुणा धर्मशीलेन जयम् आशास्स्व मे विभो ॥
राम उवाच
एवम् एतत् कुरुश्रेष्ठ कर्तव्यं भूतिम् इच्छता ॥
धर्मो ह्य् एष महाबाहो विशिष्टैः सह युध्यताम् ॥
tam ādityam ivodyantam anādhṛṣyaṃ mahābalam ||
kṣatriyāntakaraṃ rāmam ekam ekaḥ samāsadam ||
tato 'haṃ bāṇapāteṣu triṣu vāhān nigṛhya vai ||
avatīrya dhanur nyasya padātir ṛṣisattamam ||
abhyagacchaṃ tadā rāmam arciṣyan dvijasattamam ||
abhivādya cainaṃ vidhivad abruvaṃ vākyam uttamam ||
yotsye tvayā raṇe rāma viśiṣṭenādhikena ca ||
guruṇā dharmaśīlena jayam āśāssva me vibho ||
rāma uvāca
evam etat kuruśreṣṭha kartavyaṃ bhūtim icchatā ||
dharmo hy eṣa mahābāho viśiṣṭaiḥ saha yudhyatām ||
I approached alone that Rama — mighty, unassailable, like the rising sun, the destroyer of kshatriyas. Then, halting my horses at the range of three bow-shots, I descended from my chariot, laid aside my bow, and went on foot to meet the foremost of sages, honoring him. Having bowed to him as is proper, I spoke the best of words: 'O Rama, I shall fight you in battle: you surpass me, you are higher than me, you are my teacher and devoted to dharma. Grant me victory, O lord.' Rama said: 'So indeed must one act who desires welfare, O best of the Kurus. This is the dharma, O mighty-armed one, for those who fight with their superiors.'
f8b249de68f2 · 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.