Shloka 22
Bhīṣma’s Recollection of the Duel: Charioteer’s Fall, Brahmin Protection, and Portents after Rāma’s Collapse
ततो हाहाकृते लोके सदेवासुरराक्षसे । इदमन्तरमित्येवं मोक्तुकामो5स्मि भारत
tato hāhākṛte loke sadevāsurarākṣase | idam antaram ity evaṁ moktukāmo 'smi bhārata ||
Then, when the whole world—together with gods, asuras, and rākṣasas—was thrown into cries of distress, I, O Bhārata, wishing to seize this brief interval, am about to speak (and set forth what should be done).
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
In a moment of universal turmoil, Bhīṣma emphasizes the ethical urgency of using a rare ‘interval’—a brief opening before irreversible harm—to speak and act according to dharma.
Bhīṣma, addressing a Bharata prince (commonly Dhṛtarāṣṭra in this context), notes that the world is in an uproar and declares his intention to use the intervening moment to deliver counsel—implying a last chance to avert or mitigate impending catastrophe.