Shloka 20
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
ततो जगाम वसुधां मम बाणप्रपीडित: । जानुभ्यां धनुरुत्सृूज्य रामो मोहवशं गत:,मेरे उस बाणसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो परशुरामजीने मूच्छाके वशीभूत होकर धनुष छोड़ धरतीपर घुटने टेक दिये
tato jagāma vasudhāṁ mama bāṇa-prapīḍitaḥ | jānubhyāṁ dhanur utsṛjya rāmo moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Da sank Rāma (Paraśurāma), von meinem Pfeil schwer gequält, zu Boden; er warf seinen Bogen fort, geriet unter die Macht der Verblendung und fiel auf die Knie.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the mightiest warrior can be brought low when clarity is lost; prowess without steadiness of mind (freedom from moha) leads to collapse, highlighting the ethical ideal of self-mastery alongside martial skill.
In Bhīṣma’s account of his duel with Paraśurāma, Bhīṣma’s arrow strikes effectively; Paraśurāma, overwhelmed and pained, drops his bow and falls to the ground on his knees, indicating a turning point in the contest.