क्षत्रियस्य तु धर्मो ऽयं यद् युद्धं भृगुनन्दन ॥
स्वाध्यायो व्रतचर्या च ब्राह्मणानां परं धनम् ॥
इदं निमित्ते कस्मिंश् चिद् अस्माभिर् उपमन्त्रितम् ॥
शस्त्रधारणम् अत्युग्रं तच् च कार्यं कृतं त्वया ॥
वत्स पर्याप्तम् एतावद् भीष्मेण सह संयुगे ॥
विमर्दस् ते महाबाहो व्यपयाहि रणाद् इतः ॥
पर्याप्तम् एतद् भद्रं ते तव कार्मुकधारणम् ॥
विसर्जयैतद् दुर्धर्ष तपस् तप्यस्व भार्गव ॥
एष भीष्मः शांतनवो देवैः सर्वैर् निवारितः ॥
निवर्तस्व रणाद् अस्माद् इति चैव प्रचोदितः ॥
kṣatriyasya tu dharmo 'yaṃ yad yuddhaṃ bhṛgunandana ||
svādhyāyo vratacaryā ca brāhmaṇānāṃ paraṃ dhanam ||
idaṃ nimitte kasmiṃś cid asmābhir upamantritam ||
śastradhāraṇam atyugraṃ tac ca kāryaṃ kṛtaṃ tvayā ||
vatsa paryāptam etāvad bhīṣmeṇa saha saṃyuge ||
vimardas te mahābāho vyapayāhi raṇād itaḥ ||
paryāptam etad bhadraṃ te tava kārmukadhāraṇam ||
visarjayaitad durdharṣa tapas tapyasva bhārgava ||
eṣa bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavo devaiḥ sarvair nivāritaḥ ||
nivartasva raṇād asmād iti caiva pracoditaḥ ||
'O descendant of Bhrigu, battle is the dharma of the kshatriya; the study of the Vedas and a life of vows are the highest wealth of the brahmanas. For some reason we consented to this most fearsome taking up of arms, and that deed has already been accomplished by you. Enough, child — enough of this clash with Bhishma in battle, O mighty-armed one. Withdraw from this field of battle. It is enough that you have wielded this bow; may good come to you. Set it aside, O unassailable one, and devote yourself to austerity, O Bhargava. This Bhishma, son of Shantanu, has been stopped by all the gods and urged to retire from this battle.'
1711458f9c47 · 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.