Shloka 31
भीष्मस्वप्न-स्मृत्युपाख्यानम् | Bhīṣma’s Dream-Linked Recollection of the Paraśurāma Combat
कुरुनन्दन! उस समय मेरी माता गंगाने जलमें प्रकट होकर अम्बासे कहा--*भद्रे! तू किसलिये शरीरको इतना क्लेश देती है। मुझे ठीक-ठीक बता” ।। सैनामथाब्रवीद् राजन् कृताज्जलिरनिन्दिता । भीष्मेण समरे रामो निर्जितश्लारुलोचने,राजन्! तब साध्वी अम्बाने हाथ जोड़कर गंगाजीसे कहा--“चारुलोचने! भीष्मने युद्धमें परशुरामजीको परास्त कर दिया; फिर दूसरा कौन ऐसा राजा है, जो धनुष-बाण लेकर खड़े हुए भीष्मको युद्धमें परास्त कर सके? अतः मैं भीष्मके विनाशके लिये अत्यन्त कठोर तपस्या कर रही हूँ
rāma uvāca | kurunandana! tadā me mātā gaṅgā jalāt prādurbhūya ambām uvāca— “bhadre! tvaṁ kasmāt śarīraṁ tathā kliśnāsi? yathāvat me brūhi” || sā enam athābravīd rājan kṛtāñjalir aninditā | bhīṣmeṇa samare rāmo nirjitaś cārulocane || rājan! tadā sādhvī ambā kṛtāñjalir gaṅgām uvāca— “cārulocane! bhīṣmeṇa samare paraśurāmo nirjitaḥ; tataḥ kaḥ punar anyaḥ sa rājā yaḥ dhanur-bāṇam ādāya sthitaṁ bhīṣmaṁ raṇe jetum śaknoti? ataḥ bhīṣma-vināśāya ahaṁ dāruṇaṁ tapaḥ carāmi” ||
Rāma disse: “Ó alegria dos Kurus! Então minha mãe, Gaṅgā, ergueu-se das águas e disse a Ambā: ‘Nobre senhora, por que afliges o teu corpo com tamanha severidade? Diz-me a verdade com clareza.’” Então Ambā, irrepreensível, com as mãos postas, respondeu: “Ó rei, ó de belos olhos! Bhīṣma derrotou Rāma (Paraśurāma) em combate. Que outro rei poderia vencer Bhīṣma quando ele se mantém de pé, armado de arco e flechas? Por isso, para a destruição de Bhīṣma, empreendo uma austeridade extremamente dura.”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how unresolved injustice and wounded honor can harden into a vow of vengeance, driving extreme self-discipline (tapas). It also frames an ethical tension: ascetic power is pursued not for liberation but to achieve retribution, showing how intention shapes the moral color of spiritual practice.
Rāma (Paraśurāma) recounts that Gaṅgā appears from the waters and questions Ambā about her severe austerities. Ambā, respectfully folding her hands, explains that since Bhīṣma has already defeated Paraśurāma in battle, no ordinary king can defeat Bhīṣma by arms; therefore she is performing harsh tapas specifically to bring about Bhīṣma’s downfall.