Shloka 166
Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)
मानं कुरुष्व गाड़ेय ब्राह्मणस्य रणाजिरे । भृगुनन्दन! तुम्हारा कल्याण हो। दुर्धर्ष वीर! तुमने जो धनुष उठा लिया
bhīṣma uvāca | mānaṃ kuruṣva gāḍeya brāhmaṇasya raṇājire | bhṛgunandana! tubhyaṃ kalyāṇaṃ bhavatu | durdharṣa vīra! tvayā yad dhanuḥ samuddhṛtaṃ tad eva paryāptam | idānīṃ etat tyaja tapaś cara | paśya, imaiḥ sarvair devaiḥ śāntanu-nandano bhīṣmo 'pi nivāritaḥ | te taṃ prasādya idaṃ vadanti— “yuddhāt nivartasva | paraśurāmas te guruḥ | tena saha punaḥ punaḥ yuddhaṃ mā kārṣīḥ | kuruśreṣṭha! paraśurāmaṃ raṇe jetuṃ tava kadācid api na nyāyyam | gaṅgānandana! asmin samaraṅgaṇe sva-brāhmaṇa-guroḥ mānaṃ kuru” |
Bhīṣma sprach: „O Nachkomme Gādhis, erweise dem Brahmanen auf dem Schlachtfeld die gebührende Ehre. O Sohn Bhṛgus, Wohlergehen sei dir. O unbezwingbarer Held, es genügt, dass du nur deinen Bogen erhoben hast — lege ihn nun nieder und kehre zur Askese zurück. Sieh: all diese Götter haben sogar Bhīṣma, den Sohn Śāntanus, zurückgehalten. Nachdem sie ihn besänftigt haben, sagen sie: ‚Zieh dich aus dem Kampf zurück. Paraśurāma ist dein Lehrer; führe nicht immer wieder Krieg gegen ihn. O Bester der Kurus, es ist niemals gerecht, dass du in der Schlacht den Sieg über Paraśurāma erstrebst. O Sohn der Gaṅgā, ehre in dieser Arena deinen brahmanischen Guru.‘“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare, dharma requires honoring one’s guru—especially a Brahmin preceptor. Seeking to defeat one’s teacher is presented as ethically improper; restraint and reverence are upheld over victory.
Bhishma reports that the gods themselves have restrained him and urge him to withdraw from repeated combat with Parashurama, reminding him that Parashurama is his guru and that it is not right for Bhishma to aim at defeating him in battle.