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Akritavrana spoke:
O dear, there are two kinds of sorrows. Which one do you intend to address? Please tell me the truth, my dear.
O gentle lady, if you think the king of Saubha should be appointed, the great Rama will do so for your benefit.
Then, you desire to see the wise Bhishma, who was conquered in battle by Rama, and the descendant of Bhrigu may also do that.
Upon hearing the words of Sṛñjaya and yours, O fair-smiled one, consider today what task is next to be done.
The mother spoke:
O Lord, unknowingly, I have been taken away by Bhishma. Indeed, Bhishma does not know that my mind is with Shalva, O Brahman.
O Brahman, whether it is in Bhishma, O tiger among the Kurus, or in the king of the Salvas, or even in both, do what is appropriate.
I have indeed presented this root of sorrow as it is. O Lord, you should make arrangements there properly.
Akritavrana spoke:
It is fitting, O gentle lady, that you speak in this manner, O beautiful one, concerning duty; listen to my words.
If Bhishma does not lead you to Hastinapura, then Shalva, prompted by Rama, will take you with respect, O timid one.
O gentle lady, you have been conquered by him because you have been taken away, O passionate one. King Śālva doubts you, O slender-waisted one.
Bhishma, who is proud and has conquered Kashi, therefore, you must make an appropriate counteraction against him.
The mother spoke:
O Brahman, I always have this great desire in my heart to slay Bhishma in battle.
O mighty-armed one, pacify either Bhishma or the King of Salva or whoever you find at fault, for it is because of them that I am very sad.
Bhishma spoke:
As they continued their conversation, the day came to an end, and the night arrived, O esteemed Bharata, with its gentle, cool, and warm breezes.
Then, O king, the sage Rama appeared, shining with splendor, surrounded by his disciples, and wearing matted hair and bark garments.
The fearless warrior, with bow in hand and armed with a sword and axe, approached King Sṛñjaya, embodying the essence of a flawless leader among kings.
Then, the ascetics and the greatly austere king, having seen him, stood with folded hands, and all of them, including the ascetic maiden, were present.
They attentively worshipped Bhārgava with the traditional offering of madhuparka. After being appropriately honored, he sat down with them.
Then, O Bhārata, both Sṛñjaya and the royal sage Jāmadagnya recounted the events of the past.
Then, at the conclusion of the tale, the royal sage, the foremost of the Bhṛgus, who was immensely powerful, spoke sweet and meaningful words to Rāma at the appropriate moment.
This is Rāma, my granddaughter, the daughter of the king of Kāśi, O lord. Please listen carefully to her duty, as you are an expert in such matters.
Rama said to her, "Tell me the supreme." Then she approached Rama, who was glowing like a fire.
She respectfully saluted Rama's feet with her head, touched them with her lotus-like hands, and stood in front of him gracefully.
Grief-stricken and with eyes filled with tears, she cried and sought refuge in the descendant of Bhrigu.
Rama spoke:
Just as you belong to Sṛñjaya, so do I, O prince. Tell me what troubles your mind, and I shall fulfill your request.
The mother spoke:
O Lord, today I seek refuge in you, O great vow. Please rescue me from the dreadful ocean of sorrow and mire, O Lord.
Bhishma spoke:
Upon seeing her youthful and fresh form again, along with her extreme delicacy, Rama became deeply contemplative.
Rama, overwhelmed with compassion, pondered for a long time, wondering what this would say, O best of the Bhṛgus.
Rama, addressing her again with a pure smile, asked her to tell the story. She narrated everything exactly as it was to Bhargava.
Upon hearing those words from the princess, Jamadagni's son addressed her, the beautiful lady, having made a firm decision on the matter.
O beautiful lady, I will send a message to Bhishma, the best of the Kurus. Upon hearing my righteous words, the king will act accordingly.
If the son of Jahnavi does not heed my words, O dear, I will destroy him and his ministers in battle with the power of my weapons.
O princess, if your mind changes and returns there, then I will engage the heroic lord of Śālva in this task.
The mother spoke:
O descendant of Bhrigu, having heard from Bhishma, my mind was previously set on the king of Shalva.
I approached the king of Saubha and spoke harsh words, but he did not accept me, suspecting my character.
O son of Bhrigu, after carefully considering everything with your own wisdom, you should think about what is the right action to take here.
Here, Bhishma, who is bound by a great vow, is the root cause of my distress; it was by him that I was forcibly taken control of at that time.
O mighty-armed one, slay Bhishma, for whom I have endured such sorrow. O tiger among the Bhrigus, I am compelled to act in a most unpleasant manner.
He is greedy, proud, and has conquered Kāśī, O Bhārgava. Therefore, it is fitting for you, O sinless one, to make a response to him.
O lord, when Bhārata was being taken away, this resolve arose in my heart: I shall destroy the great vow.
Therefore, O Rama, fulfill my desire today by slaying Bhishma, mighty-armed one, just as Indra slew Vritra.
