Shloka 61
अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः
Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge
'भुगुनन्दन परशुराम! जहाँ पूर्वकालमें अपने पिताको अंजलि-दान देकर आपने आत्मशुद्धिका अनुभव किया था, वहीं मैं भी आपको मारकर आत्मशुद्धि करूँगा ।।
bhṛgunandana paraśurāma! yatra pūrvakāle svapitaraṃ añjali-dānaṃ kṛtvā tvayā ātmaśuddhir anubhūtā, tatraiva aham api tvāṃ hatvā ātmaśuddhiṃ kariṣyāmi. tatra rāma samāgaccha tvaritaṃ yuddha-durmada. vyapaneṣyāmi te darpaṃ paurāṇaṃ brāhmaṇa-bruva.
„O Nachkomme des Bhṛgu, Paraśurāma! An eben dem Ort, wo du einst innere Läuterung empfandest, nachdem du deinem Vater mit gefalteten Händen eine Libation dargebracht hattest, werde auch ich Läuterung erlangen — indem ich dich erschlage. Komm dorthin unverzüglich, o Rāma, vom Kampfesrausch berauscht. Ich werde deinen alten Hochmut zerschmettern, du, der nur den Namen eines Brahmanen für sich beansprucht.“
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts mere religious status with ethical conduct: pride and violent self-justification are condemned through the taunt “brāhmaṇa-bruva,” implying that true brahminhood is defined by restraint and virtue, not by lineage or claims. It also shows how the language of ‘purification’ can be invoked to rationalize aggression, inviting reflection on dharma versus personal vendetta.
Rāma issues a direct challenge to Paraśurāma, summoning him to Kurukṣetra for combat. He recalls a past episode associated with Paraśurāma’s ritual offering to his father and declares that he will achieve his own ‘purification’ by killing Paraśurāma there, while promising to shatter Paraśurāma’s long-held arrogance.