Shloka 5
भीष्म–रामसंयुगनिवृत्तिः
Bhishma and Rama: Restraint and Withdrawal in the Engagement
नाहत्वा युधि गाड़ेयं निवर्तिष्ये तपोधना: । एष मे हृदि संकल्पो यदिदं कथितं मया
nāhatvā yudhi gāḍeyaṃ nivartiṣye tapodhanāḥ | eṣa me hṛdi saṅkalpo yad idaṃ kathitaṃ mayā ||
«Ô riches d’austérité, je ne reculerai pas avant de l’avoir tué au plus fort de la bataille. Tel est le dessein logé dans mon cœur — c’est bien cela que j’ai proclamé.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds saṅkalpa—an unshakable resolve—as a moral force: one should not abandon a solemnly undertaken purpose until it is fulfilled, especially when framed as a duty in the context of battle and honor.
Bhīṣma states before ascetics (tapodhanāḥ) that he will not withdraw from his course until he has killed the person named Gāḍeya in battle, emphasizing that this determination is firmly set in his heart and has been openly announced.