Shloka 39

अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः

Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge

Devanagari script

इष्वस्त्रं मम बालस्य भवतैव चतुर्विधम्‌ । उपदिष्ट महाबाहो शिष्यो5स्मि तव भार्गव,तब मैंने उन ब्राह्मणशिरोमणिके चरणोंमें मस्तक झुकाकर पुनः प्रणाम किया और इस प्रकार पूछा--“भगवन्‌! क्‍या कारण है कि आप मेरे साथ युद्ध करना चाहते हैं? बाल्यावस्थामें आपने ही मुझे चार प्रकारके धरनुर्वेदकी शिक्षा दी है। महाबाहु भार्गव! मैं तो आपका शिष्य हूँ"

Transliteration

iṣvastraṃ mama bālasya bhavatā eva caturvidham | upadiṣṭa mahābāho śiṣyo ’smi tava bhārgava ||

Translation

“হে মহাবাহু ভাৰ্গৱ! মোৰ বাল্যকালত আপুনিয়েই মোক চতুৰ্বিধ ইষ্বস্ত্ৰবিদ্যা উপদেশ দিছিল; মই আপোনাৰ শিষ্য।”

Word by Word

इषु-अस्त्रम्missile-weapon (archery weapon)

ममof me / my

बालस्यof the boy / of (me) as a child

भवताby you

एवindeed / only

चतुर्विधम्fourfold

उपदिष्टम्taught / instructed

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

शिष्यःdisciple

अस्मिI am

तवof you / your

भार्गवO Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma (Paraśurāma/Bhārgava)

Disciple (the addressed opponent, traditionally Bhīṣma/Devavrata in this episode)

iṣvastra (missile-weaponry/archery science)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between martial duty and reverence for one’s teacher: even in a warrior context, the guru–śiṣya bond and gratitude for instruction create a moral question about the legitimacy of combat between them.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma (Bhārgava/Paraśurāma) addresses his opponent and reminds him that he himself taught him the fourfold weapon-discipline in childhood; the speaker then questions why the other now seeks battle, emphasizing the disciple’s status and the impropriety of such a fight.