Shloka 16
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
हयाश्व मे संगृहीतास्तयासन् महानद्या संयति कौरवेन्द्र । पादौ जनन्या: प्रतिगृहा चाहं तथा पितृणां रथमभ्यरोहम्,कौरवराज! उस युद्धमें महानदी माता गंगाने मेरे घोड़ोंकी बागडोर पकड़ रखी थी। तब मैं माताके चरणोंका स्पर्श करके और पितरोंके उद्देश्यसे भी मस्तक नवाकर उस रथपर जा बैठा
hayāśva me saṅgṛhītās tayāsan mahānadyā saṃyati kauravendra | pādau jananyāḥ pratigṛhya cāhaṃ tathā pitṝṇāṃ ratham abhyaroham, kauravarāja ||
Bhīṣma said: O lord of the Kurus, in that battle the great river—my mother Gaṅgā—held the reins of my horses. Having first touched my mother’s feet in reverence, and bowing my head as an offering to the Pitṛs (my forefathers), I then mounted the chariot.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the urgency of war, dharma is upheld through reverence to one’s mother and remembrance of the ancestors. Bhīṣma models disciplined action rooted in gratitude and duty, showing that ethical grounding should precede engagement in conflict.
Bhīṣma recounts a moment before entering battle: his mother Gaṅgā (the great river) is described as holding the reins of his horses. He pays respect by touching his mother’s feet and bowing to his forefathers, then mounts the chariot to proceed into the fight.