Shloka 96
(कथमस्मद्विध: कृष्ण जानन् धर्म सनातनम् | न्यस्तशस्त्रे च वृद्धे च प्रहरेद्धि पितामहे ।।) “श्रीकृष्ण! अपने सनातन धर्मको जाननेवाला मेरे-जैसा पुरुष हथियार डालकर बैठे हुए अपने बूढ़े पितामहपर प्रहार कैसे करेगा? वायुदेव उवाच प्रतिज्ञाय वध॑ जिष्णो पुरा भीष्मस्य संयुगे | क्षत्रधर्मे स्थित: पार्थ कथं नैनं हनिष्यसि,भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण बोले--विजयी कुन्तीकुमार! तुम क्षत्रियधर्ममें स्थित हो। युद्धमें तुम पहले भीष्मके वधकी प्रतिज्ञा करके अब उन्हें कैसे नहीं मारोगे?
katham asmadvidhaḥ kṛṣṇa jānan dharmaṃ sanātanam | nyastaśastre ca vṛddhe ca prahared dhi pitāmahe ||
vāyudeva uvāca |
pratijñāya vadhaṃ jiṣṇo purā bhīṣmasya saṃyuge | kṣatradharme sthitaḥ pārtha kathaṃ nainaṃ haniṣyasi ||
ବାୟୁଦେବ କହିଲେ—ହେ କୃଷ୍ଣ! ସନାତନ ଧର୍ମ ଜାଣିଥିବା ମୋ ପରି ଲୋକ ଶସ୍ତ୍ର ରଖି ବସିଥିବା ବୃଦ୍ଧ ପିତାମହଙ୍କ ଉପରେ କିପରି ପ୍ରହାର କରିବ? ପୁଣି କହିଲେ—ହେ ଜିଷ୍ଣୁ! ତୁମେ ପୂର୍ବେ ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ଭୀଷ୍ମବଧର ପ୍ରତିଜ୍ଞା କରିଥିଲ; କ୍ଷତ୍ରଧର୍ମରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ ହେ ପାର୍ଥ! ଏବେ ତୁମେ ତାଙ୍କୁ କିପରି ନ ମାରିବ?
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a classic dharma-conflict: reverence and compassion toward an aged, disarmed elder versus the binding force of a warrior’s duty and a publicly made vow. It highlights that dharma in the epic is situational and can demand difficult choices where competing obligations must be weighed.
In the Bhīṣma Parva battle setting, Vāyu voices the moral hesitation: striking Bhīṣma, the revered grandsire, especially when he is old and has laid down weapons, seems contrary to eternal dharma. The response (as preserved in this verse’s continuation) presses Arjuna to remember his earlier pledge to bring about Bhīṣma’s death and to act in accordance with kṣatriya-dharma on the battlefield.