Shloka 176
Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)
भीष्मो वसूनामन्यतमो दिष्ट्या जीवसि पुत्रक । बेटा परशुराम! हम जो तुम्हारे गुरुजन--आदरणीय पितर हैं। इसलिये तुम्हें रोक रहे हैं। पुत्र! भीष्म वसुओंमेंसे एक वसु हैं। तुम अपना सौभाग्य ही समझो कि उनके साथ युद्ध करके अबतक जीवित हो
bhīṣma uvāca | bhīṣmo vasūnām anyatamo diṣṭyā jīvasi putraka |
Bhīṣma said: “I, Bhīṣma, am one among the Vasus. It is by good fortune, dear child, that you still live. We who are your elders—worthy of reverence as forefathers and teachers—therefore restrain you. Count it as your own blessing that, even after engaging in battle with a Vasu like me, you have remained alive until now.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in conflict, dharma requires recognizing rightful authority and reverence for elders; restraint is presented as an ethical duty, and survival against a superior/divinely-endowed warrior is framed as providential good fortune rather than personal pride.
In the Bhīṣma–Paraśurāma confrontation, Bhīṣma addresses Paraśurāma (affectionately as a ‘child’), asserting his own divine lineage as a Vasu and explaining that elders are trying to restrain him; he emphasizes that Paraśurāma’s continued survival after battling Bhīṣma is due to fortune.