Shloka 22
भीष्म–जामदग्न्यसंवादः (Amba-prasaṅga and Kurukṣetra Dvandva Declaration) / Bhishma–Jamadagnya Dialogue
नमस्कृत्य च देवेभ्यो ब्राह्म॒णेभ्यो विशेषत: । तमहं स्मयन्निव रणे प्रत्यभाषं व्यवस्थितम्,तत्पश्चात् देवताओं और विशेषत:ः ब्राह्मणोंको नमस्कार कर मैं रणभूमिमें खड़े हुए परशुरामजीसे मुसकराता हुआ-सा बोला--
namaskṛtya ca devebhyo brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣataḥ | tam ahaṁ smayann iva raṇe pratyabhāṣaṁ vyavasthitam ||
Having first offered reverent salutations to the gods—and especially to the brāhmaṇas—I then addressed Paraśurāma, who stood poised on the battlefield, speaking as though with a faint smile. The moment frames a warrior’s restraint: even amid impending combat, reverence for the sacred and for learned authority is upheld as an ethical prerequisite to speech and action.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a context of conflict, one should begin with reverence toward the divine and special respect toward brāhmaṇas (custodians of sacred learning). Ethical action and speech are grounded in humility and acknowledgment of higher moral authority.
Rāma, before speaking to an opponent who stands ready on the battlefield, first offers salutations to the gods and particularly to the brāhmaṇas, and then addresses the poised figure, seemingly with a restrained smile—signaling composure and adherence to dharma amid martial tension.