Shloka 16
भीष्म–रामजामदग्न्ययुद्धप्रस्थानवर्णनम्
Bhishma’s Account of Parashurama’s Challenge and the March to Kurukshetra
ग्लायन्तं भरतश्रेष्ठ रामबाणप्रपीडितम् । ततो मामपयातं वै भृशं विद्धमचेतसम्
glāyantaṃ bharataśreṣṭha rāma-bāṇa-prapīḍitam | tato mām apayātaṃ vai bhṛśaṃ viddham acetasaṃ ||
Bhīṣma said: “O best of the Bharatas, tormented by Paraśurāma’s arrows, I was overcome with exhaustion. Then, grievously wounded and senseless, I withdrew from the battlefield. Seeing me in that condition, Paraśurāma’s attendants—such as Akṛtavraṇa—and Amba, the daughter of the king of Kāśī, raised a loud clamor in delight.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the human limits even of great warriors and the ethical tension in war: prowess does not erase vulnerability, and opponents or partisans may react with triumph at another’s suffering—an implicit reminder to examine one’s conduct and emotions (dharma) amid conflict.
Bhīṣma recounts that Paraśurāma’s arrows overwhelmed him; badly wounded and unconscious, he withdrew from the battlefield. Paraśurāma’s followers, along with Amba (who bears hostility toward Bhīṣma), rejoiced loudly upon seeing his condition.