Shloka 10

अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः

Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge

Devanagari script

निर्जितो<स्मीति वा ब्रूयात्‌ कुर्याद्‌ वा वचनं तव । कृतमस्या भवेत्‌ कार्य कन्याया भृगुनन्दन

Transliteration

nirjito 'smīti vā brūyāt kuryād vā vacanaṃ tava | kṛtam asyā bhavet kāryaṃ kanyāyā bhṛgunandana ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「彼が『我は敗れたり』と言うか、あるいは汝の命に従うか、そのいずれかである。そうなれば、ブリグの誉れラーマよ、この乙女の願いは果たされる。」

Word by Word

• {'nirjitaḥ': 'defeated, conquered', 'asmi iti': '‘I am’—thus (a quoted assertion)', 'vā': 'or', 'brūyāt': 'should say, should declare', 'kuryāt': 'should do, should carry out', 'vacanam': 'word, command, instruction', 'tava': 'your', 'kṛtam': 'done, accomplished, fulfilled', 'asyāḥ': 'of her (the maiden)', 'bhavet': 'would be, would become', 'kāryam': 'purpose, task, objective

• what must be accomplished', 'kanyāyāḥ': 'of the maiden', 'bhṛgunandana': '‘delight of Bhṛgu’s line’—an epithet of Paraśurāma'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Paraśurāma (Bhṛgunandana)
• the maiden (kanyā; Amba in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical resolution: the wronged maiden’s objective is satisfied if Bhīṣma either openly accepts defeat or agrees to Paraśurāma’s directive—highlighting accountability, honor, and the duty to remedy harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Amba episode, Paraśurāma confronts Bhīṣma on the maiden’s behalf. Bhīṣma states that if he yields—by admitting defeat or by obeying Paraśurāma’s command—then the maiden’s cause will be achieved.