Shloka 28

Devanagari script

राम उवाच भीष्म कां बुद्धिमास्थाय काशिराजसुता तदा । अकामेन त्वया55नीता पुनश्चैव विसर्जिता,परशुरामजी बोले--भीष्म! तुमने किस विचारसे उन दिनों स्वयं पत्नीकी कामनासे रहित होते हुए भी काशिराजकी इस कन्याका अपहरण किया, अपने घर ले आये और पुनः इसे निकाल बाहर किया

Transliteration

rāma uvāca | bhīṣma kāṃ buddhim āsthāya kāśirājasutā tadā | akāmena tvayā nītā punaś caiva visarjitā ||

Translation

પરશુરામ બોલ્યા—“ભીષ્મ! કઈ બુદ્ધિ અને કયા હેતુથી, તું પોતે પત્નીની ઇચ્છાથી રહિત હોવા છતાં, તે દિવસોમાં કાશીરાજની પુત્રીનું અપહરણ કરીને ઘેર લાવ્યો અને પછી ફરી તેને ત્યજી દીધી?”

Word by Word

रामःRama (Parashurama)

उवाचsaid

भीष्मO Bhishma

काम्which?

बुद्धिम्thought, intention

आस्थायhaving adopted, having resorted to

काशिराजसुताthe daughter of the king of Kashi

तदाthen

अकामेनby one without desire (unwillingly)

त्वयाby you

नीताwas taken/brought

पुनःagain

चand

एवindeed, just

विसर्जिताwas released/sent away

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Paraśurāma (Rāma)

Bhīṣma

Kāśirāja

Kāśirāja’s daughter (Kāśī princess)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse probes ethical intention (buddhi) behind an act that outwardly resembles force: Paraśurāma challenges Bhīṣma to justify how taking a woman without personal desire can still be dharmic, especially when the outcome is her rejection. It highlights that vows and political duty do not automatically absolve harm caused to others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Paraśurāma confronts Bhīṣma about the earlier episode of taking the Kāśī princess (associated with the Amba narrative): Bhīṣma abducted her in a kṣatriya contest context for his brother’s marriage, yet later she was sent away. Paraśurāma demands Bhīṣma explain the motive and justification for both actions.