यथाह भरतश्रेष्ठ नारदस् तत् तथा कुरु ॥
एतद् धि परमं श्रेयो लोकानां भरतर्षभ ॥
ततश् च प्रतिसंहृत्य तद् अस्त्रं स्वापनं मृधे ॥
ब्रह्मास्त्रं दीपयां चक्रे तस्मिन् युधि यथाविधि ॥
ततो रामो रुषितो राजपुत्र; दृष्ट्वा तद् अस्त्रं विनिवर्तितं वै ॥
जितो ऽस्मि भीष्मेण सुमन्दबुद्धिर्; इत्य् एव वाक्यं सहसा व्यमुञ्चत् ॥
ततो ऽपश्यत् पितरं जामदग्न्यः; पितुस् तथा पितरं तस्य चान्यम् ॥
त एवैनं संपरिवार्य तस्थुर्; ऊचुश् चैनं सान्त्वपूर्वं तदानीम् ॥
मा स्मैवं साहसं वत्स पुनः कार्षीः कथं चन ॥
भीष्मेण संयुगं गन्तुं क्षत्रियेण विशेषतः ॥
yathāha bharataśreṣṭha nāradas tat tathā kuru ||
etad dhi paramaṃ śreyo lokānāṃ bharatarṣabha ||
tataś ca pratisaṃhṛtya tad astraṃ svāpanaṃ mṛdhe ||
brahmāstraṃ dīpayāṃ cakre tasmin yudhi yathāvidhi ||
tato rāmo ruṣito rājaputra; dṛṣṭvā tad astraṃ vinivartitaṃ vai ||
jito 'smi bhīṣmeṇa sumandabuddhir; ity eva vākyaṃ sahasā vyamuñcat ||
tato 'paśyat pitaraṃ jāmadagnyaḥ; pitus tathā pitaraṃ tasya cānyam ||
ta evainaṃ saṃparivārya tasthur; ūcuś cainaṃ sāntvapūrvaṃ tadānīm ||
mā smaivaṃ sāhasaṃ vatsa punaḥ kārṣīḥ kathaṃ cana ||
bhīṣmeṇa saṃyugaṃ gantuṃ kṣatriyeṇa viśeṣataḥ ||
'As Narada has said, O best of the Bharatas, so do. This is the highest good for the worlds, O best of the Bharatas.' Then, withdrawing that sleep-inducing weapon in the battle, I duly kindled the brahmastra in that fight. Seeing that weapon withdrawn, Rama, enraged, O prince, suddenly spoke these words: 'I am defeated by Bhishma, for I am utterly foolish.' Then the son of Jamadagni beheld his father, his father's father, and yet another ancestor. They surrounded him and spoke to him then, beginning with words of comfort: 'Never again commit such rashness, child — especially by engaging Bhishma, a kshatriya, in battle.'
e4f736b63dbb · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:42:04 AM UTC
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Here the duel finally comes to a stop — not through defeat, but through the intervention of a higher order. Narada, the gods, the ancestors, the sages, and Ganga restrain them both: Bhishma from using Prasvapa against his teacher, and Rama from continuing to fight a kshatriya whom he neither should nor can kill. The chapter shows a rare form of victory: both sides keep their vow, yet accept the limit set by dharma. It is especially significant that Bhishma bows to Rama once the battle stops. He does not turn strength into pride; reverence for the guru remains higher than a warrior's self-regard.