Shloka 34
Droṇa–Vidura–Gāndhārī Counsel in the Royal Assembly (धर्मार्थयुक्ता सभा-उपदेश-प्रकरणम्)
ततोऊहं प्राञ्जलि भूत्वा मातरं सम्प्रसादयम् । नाम्ब शान्तनुना जात: कौरवं वंशमुद्रहन्
tato ’haṃ prāñjali bhūtvā mātaraṃ samprasādayam | nāmba śāntanunā jātaḥ kauravaṃ vaṃśam udvahan, ahaṃ preṣyaś ca dāsaś ca tavādya sutavatsale | rājan! tatpaścāt punaḥ hātha joṛkar mātāko prasanna karaneke liye maine vinayapūrvak kahā—“amba! maiṃ rājā śāntanuse utpanna hokar kauravavaṃśakī maryādākā vahan kartā hūṃ. ataḥ apanī kī huī pratijñāko jhūṭhī nahīṃ kar saktā.” yah bāt maine bār-bār duharāyī. iske bād phir kahā—“putravatsale! viśeṣataḥ tumhāre hī liye maine yah pratijñā kī thī. maiṃ tumhārā sevak aur dās hūṃ (mujhse vah pratijñā toṛneke liye na kaho)”
Alors, les mains jointes, je cherchai à apaiser ma mère et parlai avec humilité : «Mère Amba, né du roi Śāntanu, je porte l’honneur et la charge de la lignée des Kaurava ; je ne puis donc rendre mensonger le vœu que j’ai prononcé.» Je le répétai encore et encore. Puis j’ajoutai : «Ô mère tendre, c’est surtout pour toi que j’ai fait ce vœu. Aujourd’hui encore, je suis ton serviteur et ton homme de peine : ne me demande pas de le briser.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes dharma as fidelity to one’s solemn vow and responsibility to lineage and public honor. Bhīṣma frames vow-keeping not as personal stubbornness but as an ethical obligation tied to the Kaurava dynasty’s integrity, even when emotional appeals are strong.
Bhīṣma, speaking to the king, recounts how he respectfully tried to pacify Amba (addressed as ‘mother’) with folded hands. He repeatedly explains that, as Śāntanu’s son and bearer of the Kaurava line, he cannot violate his vow; he adds that the vow was made especially for her sake and asks her not to urge him to break it.