Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्य कीर्तिमतस्तात पुरा रामेण धीमता

Transliteration

tasya kīrtimatas tāta purā rāmeṇa dhīmatā |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O Lieber, gestützt auf die Waffenlehre, die einst in früherer Zeit der weise Rāma (Paraśurāma) dem ruhmreichen Bhīṣma verliehen hatte—eine Lehre, die feindliche Heere vernichtet—fuhr Bhīṣma, der greise Ahn der Kuru und Bezwinger feindlicher Helden, Tag um Tag fort, zehntausend der vornehmsten Krieger des gegnerischen (pāṇḍavischen) Heeres niederzumachen.“

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• कीर्तिमतः: of the renowned
• कीर्तिमतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्तिमत्
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• तात: O dear (son)!
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• रामेण: by Rama (Parashurama)
• रामेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• धीमता: by the wise
• धीमता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• Kuru dynasty (Kurukula)
• Pāṇḍava army (as the opposing host in this narration)
• Astra-śikṣā (weapon-training)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how prior training and acquired power (astra-śikṣā) can decisively shape outcomes in war, while implicitly raising the ethical tension of kṣatriya-duty: excellence in dharma-as-duty may still entail immense violence and tragic loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, drawing upon the formidable weapon-instruction he once received from Paraśurāma, is daily slaughtering vast numbers—ten thousand chief warriors—of the opposing host on the battlefield.