लालप्यमानां ताम् एवं कृपणां पुत्रगृद्धिनीम् ॥
धर्माद् अपेतं ब्रुवतीं भीष्मो भूयो ऽब्रवीद् इदम् ॥
राज्ञि धर्मान् अवेक्षस्व मा नः सर्वान् व्यनीनशः ॥
सत्याच् च्युतिः क्षत्रियस्य न धर्मेषु प्रशस्यते ॥
शंतनोर् अपि संतानं यथा स्याद् अक्षयं भुवि ॥
तत् ते धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामि क्षात्रं राज्ञि सनातनम् ॥
श्रुत्वा तं प्रतिपद्येथाः प्राज्ञैः सह पुरोहितैः ॥
आपद्धर्मार्थकुशलैर् लोकतन्त्रम् अवेक्ष्य च ॥
lālapyamānāṃ tām evaṃ kṛpaṇāṃ putragṛddhinīm ||
dharmād apetaṃ bruvatīṃ bhīṣmo bhūyo 'bravīd idam ||
rājñi dharmān avekṣasva mā naḥ sarvān vyanīnaśaḥ ||
satyāc cyutiḥ kṣatriyasya na dharmeṣu praśasyate ||
śaṃtanor api saṃtānaṃ yathā syād akṣayaṃ bhuvi ||
tat te dharmaṃ pravakṣyāmi kṣātraṃ rājñi sanātanam ||
śrutvā taṃ pratipadyethāḥ prājñaiḥ saha purohitaiḥ ||
āpaddharmārthakuśalair lokatantram avekṣya ca ||
'To her, thus lamenting, pitiable, longing for a son, speaking words that departed from dharma, Bhishma again said this: "O queen, consider the dharmas; do not destroy us all; a kshatriya's departure from truth is not approved in the teachings of dharma. As to how Shantanu's line might become imperishable on earth, I shall declare to you the eternal kshatriya dharma, O queen. Having heard it, carry it out together with wise household priests skilled in the dharma of distress, taking into account also worldly custom."'
27a8d897412e · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 4:16:47 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here Bhishma, firmly declining the request to break his vow, points to another, permitted path for continuing the lineage. His firmness on the essential point is telling: "a kshatriya's departure from truth is not approved" — no need whatsoever can justify betraying a given word. It shows that the end does not justify an unrighteous means: even to save the lineage, one may not commit adharma; a good end must be reached by a good path. Yet it is significant that Bhishma does not leave Satyavati without hope, but promises to declare the "eternal kshatriya dharma" — a lawful means (niyoga through an invited person, as will be revealed later) that requires no breach of his vow. Here is the wisdom of one resourceful in difficulty: a true knower of dharma does not merely reject what is improper but finds the right way out, preserving both fidelity and the good of the lineage. And the instruction to settle the matter "with wise priests skilled in apad-dharma" is significant: in difficult questions one must seek the counsel of those learned in scripture, rather than acting alone. Thus the scripture presents a model for resolving a moral dilemma: firmness in principle, flexibility in permitted means, humility before the counsel of the wise.