Shloka 27

Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter

Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation

Devanagari script

आददानो महाबाहु: कार्मुकं तालसंनिभम्‌ | ततो मय्याददानं तं राममेव न्यवारयन्‌

Transliteration

ādadāno mahābāhuḥ kārmukaṃ tālasaṃnibham | tato mayy ādadānaṃ taṃ rāma evā nyavārayan ||

Translation

Als jener mächtigarmige Kämpfer seinen Bogen ergriff—riesig und hart wie ein Palmenstamm—und ihn eben gegen mich richten wollte, hielt Rāma (Paraśurāma) ihn selbst zurück.

Word by Word

• आददानः: taking, seizing
• आददानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कार्मुकम्: bow
• कार्मुकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्मुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ताल-संनिभम्: resembling a palm tree
• ताल-संनिभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तालसंनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• मयि: on/against me
• मयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन

• आददानम्: taking up (aiming/raising)
• आददानम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रामम्: Rama (Parashurama)
• रामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• न्यवारयन्: they restrained, held back
• न्यवारयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वारय् (धातु: वारयति, णिच्)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), प्रथम, बहुवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rāma
• kārmuka (bow)
• tāla (palmyra tree, as a simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when provoked and armed, a kṣatriya’s force should be governed by dharma—especially by legitimate authority and disciplined restraint—so that violence does not become impulsive or unrighteous.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that a mighty warrior seized a massive bow and was about to act against him, but Rāma intervened and stopped that action, preventing an immediate escalation.