Shloka 8
भीष्म–रामजामदग्न्ययुद्धप्रस्थानवर्णनम्
Bhishma’s Account of Parashurama’s Challenge and the March to Kurukshetra
ततो<हं निशितैर्भल्लै: शतशो5थ सहस्रश: । अच्छिदं सहसा राजजन्नन्तरिक्षे पुन: पुन:
tato 'haṃ niśitair bhallaiḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ | acchidaṃ sahasā rājan antarīkṣe punaḥ punaḥ ||
Then, O King, with razor-sharp bhalla arrows I swiftly cut them to pieces—by the hundreds and by the thousands—right there in midair, again and again. Thus the exchange continued repeatedly.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya discipline and protective responsibility: true martial excellence is not mere aggression but controlled skill that neutralizes threats before they cause harm, repeatedly and reliably.
Bhīṣma describes how he used sharp bhalla arrows to slice incoming missiles into hundreds and thousands of fragments while they were still in the air, doing so again and again as the combat continued.