Shloka 39

अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः

Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge

Devanagari script

इष्वस्त्रं मम बालस्य भवतैव चतुर्विधम्‌ । उपदिष्ट महाबाहो शिष्यो5स्मि तव भार्गव

Transliteration

iṣvastraṃ mama bālasya bhavatā eva caturvidham | upadiṣṭa mahābāho śiṣyo ’smi tava bhārgava ||

Translation

“ಮಹಾಬಾಹು ಭಾರ್ಗವನೇ! ನಾನು ಬಾಲನಾಗಿದ್ದಾಗ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವಿಧದ ಇಷ್ವಸ್ತ್ರವಿದ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ನೀವೇ ನನಗೆ ಉಪದೇಶಿಸಿದ್ದೀರಿ; ನಾನು ನಿಮ್ಮ ಶಿಷ್ಯನು.”

Word by Word

• इषु-अस्त्रम्: missile-weapon (archery weapon)
• इषु-अस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• बालस्य: of the boy / of (me) as a child
• बालस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed / only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• चतुर्विधम्: fourfold
• चतुर्विधम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपदिष्टम्: taught / instructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√दिश् (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शिष्यः: disciple
• शिष्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular

• तव: of you / your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• भार्गव: O Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Paraśurāma/Bhārgava)
• Disciple (the addressed opponent, traditionally Bhīṣma/Devavrata in this episode)
• iṣvastra (missile-weaponry/archery science)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between martial duty and reverence for one’s teacher: even in a warrior context, the guru–śiṣya bond and gratitude for instruction create a moral question about the legitimacy of combat between them.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma (Bhārgava/Paraśurāma) addresses his opponent and reminds him that he himself taught him the fourfold weapon-discipline in childhood; the speaker then questions why the other now seeks battle, emphasizing the disciple’s status and the impropriety of such a fight.