Shloka 27
Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)
त्यजेयं शाश्व॒तं धर्ममिति मे निश्चिता मतिः । तब मैंने क्षत्रियधर्मको लक्ष्य करके उनसे कहा--“महर्षियो! संसारमें मेरा यह व्रत प्रसिद्ध है कि मैं पीठपर बाणोंकी चोट खाता हुआ कदापि युद्धसे निवृत्त नहीं हो सकता। मेरा यह निश्चित विचार है कि मैं लोभसे
tyajeyaṃ śāśvataṃ dharmam iti me niścitā matiḥ |
Tekadku teguh: aku tidak akan meninggalkan dharma yang kekal. Dengan kewajiban seorang kṣatriya di hadapan mata, aku berkata kepada para resi itu: “Wahai para Mahārṣi! Sumpahku ini termasyhur di dunia—meski punggungku dihujani panah, aku takkan pernah menarik diri dari pertempuran. Keyakinanku telah bulat: bukan karena loba, bukan karena kepengecutan atau kehinaan, bukan karena takut, dan bukan demi keuntungan pribadi, aku tak mungkin meninggalkan dharma abadi para kṣatriya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma presents unwavering commitment to dharma as a moral anchor: one must not abandon one’s rightful duty due to greed, fear, cowardice, dejection, or self-interest. For a kṣatriya, this includes steadfastness and refusal to retreat from a justly undertaken battle.
Bhīṣma addresses sages and reaffirms his famous vow: even if struck by arrows, he will not withdraw from war. He frames this as fidelity to the eternal kṣatriya-dharma, rejecting any motive that would compromise his duty.