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 ||
彼女は言った。「苦行の富を備えた方々よ。私が受けたこの苦行の誓いは、功徳の世界を得るためではない。彼を討つためである。決意は揺るがぬ――ビーマを斬ってこそ、私は安らぎに至る。」
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.