Shloka 20
Bhīṣma’s Recollection of the Duel: Charioteer’s Fall, Brahmin Protection, and Portents after Rāma’s Collapse
ततश्वचाल पृथिवी सपर्वतवनद्रुमा । संतप्तानि च भूतानि विषादं जग्मुरुत्तमम्,फिर तो पर्वत, वन और वृक्षोंसहित सारी पृथ्वी डोलने लगी। भूतलके समस्त प्राणी संतप्त हो अत्यन्त विषाद करने लगे
tataś cacāla pṛthivī sa-parvata-vana-drumā | saṃtaptāni ca bhūtāni viṣādaṃ jagmur uttamam ||
Bhīṣma said: “Then the earth itself began to tremble, together with its mountains, forests, and trees. All living beings were scorched with distress and sank into the deepest grief.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys that severe moral and political breakdown has cosmic consequences: when adharma rises and calamity nears, the natural world and all beings reflect that disturbance through fear, suffering, and grief.
Bhīṣma describes an ominous moment: the earth trembles with its mountains and forests, and all creatures become distressed and overwhelmed by sorrow—an atmospheric sign of impending disaster in the unfolding conflict.