Shloka 35
भीष्मस्वप्न-स्मृत्युपाख्यानम् | Bhīṣma’s Dream-Linked Recollection of the Paraśurāma Combat
तब सतरगामिनी गंगानदीने उससे कहा--'भाविनि! तू कुटिल आचरण कर रही है। सुन्दर अंगोंवाली अबले! तेरा यह मनोरथ कभी पूर्ण नहीं हो सकता ।।
yadi bhīṣma-vināśāya kāśye carasi vai vratam | vrata-sthā ca śarīraṁ tvaṁ yadi nāma vimokṣyasi ||
ततः सा सागरगामिनी गङ्गा नदी तमब्रवीत्— “भाविनि, कुटिलमाचरसि। सुन्दराङ्गि अबले, तवायं मनोरथो न कदाचन पूर्णो भविष्यति। यदि भीष्मविनाशाय काश्यां चरसि वै व्रतम्, व्रतस्था च शरीरं त्वं यदि नाम विमोक्ष्यसि, तथापि तव सङ्कल्पो न सिद्ध्येत्।”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A vow (vrata) gains moral force from righteous intention; when driven by crookedness, hostility, or deception, it is ethically flawed and is warned to be fruitless—even if pursued to extreme self-sacrifice.
Rāma addresses Gaṅgā, criticizing her conduct and stating that even if she undertakes a vow in Kāśī aimed at Bhīṣma’s destruction and dies while keeping it, her plan will not succeed.