Mahabharata · 5.186.36
॥
Devanāgarī
मम चैव समक्षं तां कन्याम् आहूय भार्गवः ॥
उवाच दीनया वाचा मध्ये तेषां तपस्विनाम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mama caiva samakṣaṃ tāṃ kanyām āhūya bhārgavaḥ ||
uvāca dīnayā vācā madhye teṣāṃ tapasvinām ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ममmamamy; of mine
चैवcaivaand indeed; and also
समक्षंsamakṣaṃbefore the eyes; in the presence
तांtāṃher; that
कन्याम्kanyāmthe maiden; the girl
आहूयāhūyahaving summoned; having called
भार्गवःbhārgavaḥBhargava; the descendant of Bhrigu
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
दीनयाdīnayāsorrowful; plaintive
वाचाvācāwith a word; with speech
मध्येmadhyein the midst; among
तेषांteṣāṃtheir; among them
तपस्विनाम्tapasvināmof the ascetics; of the sages
Translation
And Bhargava, summoning that maiden into my presence, spoke to her in a sorrowful voice amid those ascetics.
Version
06ed6f41e0d9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:42:04 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
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.