Shloka 4
Bhīṣma’s Recollection of the Duel: Charioteer’s Fall, Brahmin Protection, and Portents after Rāma’s Collapse
ततः परमसंक्रुद्ध: पुनरेव महातपा: । ह्ास्तनेन च कोपेन शर्ति वै प्राहिणोन्मयि
tataḥ parama-saṅkruddhaḥ punar eva mahā-tapāḥ | hāstena ca kopena śaktiṃ vai prāhiṇon mayi ||
Then the great ascetic, blazing with extreme wrath once again—his anger from the previous day still smouldering—hurled his śakti-weapon straight at me.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even spiritual discipline (tapas) does not automatically prevent moral lapse; when anger is indulged, it can override restraint and push one toward disproportionate violence. The verse highlights the ethical need for self-control, especially among the powerful.
Bhīṣma narrates that Paraśurāma, becoming extremely angry again—still carrying the previous day’s rage—launches the śakti weapon at Bhīṣma, intensifying their martial confrontation.