Shloka 14
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
श्वसन्निवान्तरिक्षे च जलबिन्दुभिरुक्षित: । ततस्ते ब्राह्मणा राजन्नब्रुवन् परिगृह माम्
śvasann ivāntarikṣe ca jalabindubhir uṣkitaḥ | tatas te brāhmaṇā rājann abruvan parigṛhya mām ||
„O König, ich blieb in der Luft hängen, als ob ich noch atmete. Dann besprengten mich jene Brahmanen mit Wassertropfen; und danach, mich festhaltend, sprachen sie …“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ritual and moral authority attributed to brāhmaṇas: through a simple act of sprinkling water (a common purificatory/ritual gesture), they prepare the speaker for instruction, implying that counsel and ethical guidance are ideally preceded by purification and disciplined attention.
Bhīṣma narrates an episode in which he is described as remaining suspended in the air, as if breathing; brāhmaṇas then sprinkle him with water drops and physically take hold of him before addressing him, setting the stage for what they are about to say.