Shloka 3
भीष्म–रामसंयुगनिवृत्तिः
Bhishma and Rama: Restraint and Withdrawal in the Engagement
वधार्थ तस्य दीक्षा मे न लोकार्थ तपोधना: । निहत्य भीष्म गच्छेयं शान्तिमित्येव निश्चय:
vadhārtha tasya dīkṣā me na lokārtha tapodhanaḥ | nihatya bhīṣma gaccheyaṃ śāntim ity eva niścayaḥ ||
Elle dit : «Ô ascètes riches d’austérité, le vœu de pénitence que j’ai pris n’est pas pour gagner des mondes de mérite ; il est pour le tuer. Ma résolution est arrêtée : ce n’est qu’après avoir abattu Bhīṣma que je connaîtrai la paix.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a stark ethical tension: a vow (dīkṣā) can be driven not by spiritual merit or heavenly reward (lokārtha) but by a single-minded pursuit of vengeance or perceived justice. It shows how inner peace (śānti) is sometimes wrongly sought through violence, raising questions about whether peace gained by killing can be truly dharmic.
The speaker addresses an ascetic (“tapodhana”) and declares that his present disciplined undertaking is aimed specifically at Bhishma’s death, not at earning religious merit. He states a firm resolve that only after Bhishma is slain will he attain peace of mind.