Shloka 13
अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः
Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge
ब्रह्मद्विड् भविता तं॑ वै हनिष्यामीति भार्गव । शरणार्थे प्रपन्नानां भीतानां शरणार्थिनाम्
brahmadviḍ bhavitā taṁ vai haniṣyāmīti bhārgava | śaraṇārthe prapannānāṁ bhītānāṁ śaraṇārthinām ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Bhārgava, even if he should become a hater of Brahmins, I will indeed slay him—so I declare. For those who have come seeking refuge, for the frightened who plead for protection, the duty of shelter must not be betrayed.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the dharma of granting protection to those who seek refuge—especially the frightened and surrendered. Even when harsh action is contemplated, the ethical frame is that a protector must not abandon the duty of sheltering the vulnerable.
Bhīṣma addresses Bhārgava (Paraśurāma) and declares his resolve to slay a certain person if necessary, while invoking the principle that those who have come for refuge and are afraid must be protected—highlighting the tension between martial resolve and the obligation of refuge.