Shloka 12
भीष्म–रामसंयुगनिवृत्तिः
Bhishma and Rama: Restraint and Withdrawal in the Engagement
तामुवाच महादेव: कन््यां किल वृषध्वज: । न मे वागनृतं प्राह सत्यं भद्रे भविष्यति,तब वृषभध्वज महादेवजीने उन कन्यासे कहा--'भद्रे! मेरी वाणीने कभी झूठ नहीं कहा है; अतः मेरी बात सत्य होकर रहेगी
tām uvāca mahādevaḥ kanyāṃ kila vṛṣadhvajaḥ | na me vāg anṛtaṃ prāha satyaṃ bhadre bhaviṣyati ||
Bhīṣma nói: Bấy giờ Mahādeva, Đấng mang cờ hiệu con bò, bảo với thiếu nữ ấy: “Lời ta chưa từng thốt điều dối trá. Vì vậy, hỡi người hiền thục, điều ta đã nói ắt sẽ thành sự thật.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the dharmic primacy of satya: speech must align with truth, and a solemn utterance—especially by a divine or morally authoritative speaker—carries binding force. Truthful speech is presented not merely as honesty but as a power that makes events conform to what is rightly spoken.
Bhīṣma narrates that Mahādeva (Śiva), called Vṛṣadhvaja, addresses a maiden and assures her that his words cannot be false; therefore his statement will inevitably become true. The moment functions as a guarantee or boon-like assurance grounded in the Lord’s unwavering truthfulness.