Shloka 17

अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः

Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge

Devanagari script

कार्यमेतन्महद्‌ ब्रह्मम्‌ काशिकन्यामनोगतम्‌ । गमिष्यामि स्वयं तत्र कन्यामादाय यत्र स:,ब्रह्मन! काशिराजकी कन्याके मनमें जो यह कार्य है, वह महान्‌ है। मैं उसकी सिद्धिके लिये इस कन्याको साथ लेकर स्वयं ही वहाँ जाऊँगा, जहाँ भीष्म है

Transliteration

kāryam etan mahad brahmaṃ kāśikanyāmanogatam | gamiṣyāmi svayaṃ tatra kanyām ādāya yatra saḥ ||

Translation

హే బ్రాహ్మణా! కాశీరాజకన్య మనస్సులో పుట్టిన ఈ కార్యం మహత్తరమైనది. దీని సిద్ధి కోసం నేను స్వయంగా ఈ కన్యను వెంటబెట్టుకొని భీష్ముడు ఉన్న చోటికే వెళ్తాను.

Word by Word

कार्यम्task, deed (to be done)

एतत्this

महत्great

ब्रह्मन्Brahman; sacred power (as predicate/apposition)

काशिof Kāśī

कन्याmaiden, daughter

मनोगतम्gone into the mind; intended

गमिष्यामिI shall go

स्वयम्myself, personally

तत्रthere

कन्याम्the maiden (as object)

आदायhaving taken

यत्रwhere

सःhe (that person)

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma

Brahmin (addressed as brahman)

Kāśī (Kāśirāja’s princess)

Bhīṣma

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 highlights the ethical weight of personal resolve and responsibility: when a serious intention has been formed—especially involving a woman’s marital fate and a warrior’s honor—the speaker frames it as a “great matter” and commits to personally pursuing its proper resolution, rather than delegating it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma addresses a Brahmin and declares that the Kāśī princess has conceived a significant plan. He resolves to go in person, taking the maiden with him, to wherever Bhīṣma is—indicating an impending confrontation or negotiation connected with Bhīṣma and the princess’s marital situation.