Shloka 49

Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)

Devanagari script

असकृत्‌ क्षत्रियव्राता: संख्ये येन विनिर्जिता: । जामदग्न्येन वीरेण परवीरनिघातिना

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

asakṛt kṣatriyavrātāḥ saṅkhye yena vinirjitāḥ |

jāmadagnyena vīreṇa paravīranighātinā ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Durch jenen Helden aus Jamadagni’s Geschlecht—Rāma—den Bezwinger feindlicher Streiter, wurden ganze Scharen von Kṣatriyas in der Schlacht immer wieder niedergerungen.“

Word by Word

असकृत्repeatedly, many times

क्षत्रियव्राताःhosts/multitudes of Kshatriyas

संख्येin battle

येनby whom

विनिर्जिताःconquered, completely defeated

जामदग्न्येनby Jamadagnya (Parashurama)

वीरेणby the hero

परवीरनिघातिनाby the slayer of enemy-heroes

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma/Rāma, son of Jamadagni)

Kṣatriyas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the overwhelming martial potency of Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma) and, by implication, the ethical tension between warrior power and its repeated use against entire kṣatriya hosts—raising questions about righteous force, restraint, and the consequences of cycles of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls (or points to) the famed exploits of Paraśurāma, noting that he repeatedly defeated masses of kṣatriyas in battle, emphasizing his reputation as a destroyer of enemy champions.