Shloka 29
Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)
समेत्य सहिता भूय: समरे भृगुनन्दनम् । इतना कहकर मैं पूर्ववत् धनुष-बाण लिये दृढ़ निश्चयके साथ समरभूमिमें युद्ध करनेके लिये डटा रहा। राजन्! तब वे नारद आदि सम्पूर्ण ऋषि और मेरी माता गंगा सब लोग उस रणक्षेत्रमें एकत्र हुए और पुनः एक साथ मिलकर उस समरांगणमें भूगुनन्दन परशुरामजीके पास जाकर इस प्रकार बोले-- || २७-२८ ह || नावनीतं हि हृदयं विप्राणां शाम्य भार्गव
sametya sahitā bhūyaḥ samare bhṛgunandanam |
navanītaṁ hi hṛdayaṁ viprāṇāṁ śāmya bhārgava |
bhṛgunandana! brāhmaṇānāṁ hṛdayaṁ navanītasamaṁ komalaṁ; ataḥ śāntaḥ bhava | vipravara paraśurāma! asmād yuddhāt nivartasva | bhārgava! tava bhīṣmaś ca bhīṣmasya ca tvaṁ avadhyaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “Having spoken thus, I stood my ground on the battlefield as before, bow and arrows in hand, firmly resolved to fight. Then, O King, all the sages—Nārada and the rest—together with my mother Gaṅgā assembled on that field. Once again they approached Bhṛgu’s descendant, Paraśurāma, and addressed him: ‘O Bhārgava, the heart of brāhmaṇas is like fresh butter—soft and quick to melt; therefore be pacified. O foremost of brāhmaṇas, Paraśurāma, withdraw from this battle. O descendant of Bhṛgu, for you Bhīṣma is not to be slain, and for Bhīṣma you are not to be slain.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous anger and martial pride, spiritual elders urge restraint: the brāhmaṇa ideal is a heart that ‘melts like butter’—quick to pacify and withdraw from destructive conflict. The passage also stresses limits in violence: some opponents are declared mutually ‘avadhya’ (not to be slain), implying dharmic boundaries and the need to end futile warfare.
After Bhīṣma remains steadfast with weapons ready, Nārada and other sages, along with Gaṅgā, gather on the battlefield and approach Paraśurāma again. They counsel him to calm down and stop fighting, declaring that Paraśurāma cannot slay Bhīṣma and Bhīṣma cannot slay Paraśurāma—thus urging cessation of the duel.