Shloka 6

अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः

Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge

Devanagari script

राम उवाच काशिकन्ये पुनर्ब्रहि भीष्मस्ते चरणावुभौ । शिरसा वन्दनाहों5पि ग्रहीष्यति गिरा मम

Transliteration

rāma uvāca kāśikanye punar brūhi bhīṣmas te caraṇāv ubhau | śirasā vandanāhaṃ'pi grahīṣyati girā mama ||

Translation

രാമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ കാശികന്യേ, വീണ്ടും പറയുക: ഭീഷ്മൻ നിന്റെ ഇരുചരണങ്ങളും സ്വീകരിക്കുമോ—എന്റെ ശിരോവന്ദനവും പോലും? പിന്നെ അവൻ എന്റെ വാക്ക് അനുസരിക്കുമോ?

Word by Word

रामःRama

उवाचsaid

काशिकन्येO maiden of Kashi

पुनःagain

ब्रूहिtell/say

भीष्मःBhishma

तेyour

चरणौtwo feet

उभौboth

शिरसाwith (his) head

वन्दनात्from salutation/bowing

अपिalso/even

ग्रहीष्यतिwill accept/take

गिराby (my) words/speech

ममof me / my

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Bhīṣma

Kāśī-kanyā (princess of Kāśī)

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 underscores the dharmic expectation that a great person should acknowledge reverence and respond to sincere speech: accepting respectful approach (vandanā) and giving due regard to counsel are ethical obligations, especially amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma addresses the Kāśī princess and asks her to repeat whether Bhīṣma will accept gestures of submission and also heed Rāma’s words—seeking a definitive assurance about Bhīṣma’s stance before the dispute escalates.