Shloka 1.74.17
परशुरामप्रादुर्भावः — The Appearance of Parasurama on the Return from Mithila
तस्मिंस्तमसि घोरे तु भस्मच्छन्नेव सा चमू:।।।।ददर्श भीमसङ्काशं जटामण्डलधारिणम्।भार्गवं जामदग्न्यं तं राजराजविमर्दिनम्।।।।कैलासमिव दुर्धर्षं कालाग्निमिव दुस्सहम्।ज्वलंतमिव तेजोभिर्दुर्निरीक्ष्यं पृथग्जनै:।।।।स्कन्धे चासज्य परशुं धनुर्विद्युद्गणोपमम् ।प्रगृह्य शरमुख्यं च त्रिपुरघ्नं यथा शिवम्।।।।
vasiṣṭhaś cārṣayaś cānye rājā ca sa-sutas tadā | saṃsajñā iva tatrāsan sarvam anyad vicetanam ||
Then Vasiṣṭha and the other sages, and the king with his sons, remained as if fully aware; everyone else there lost consciousness.
In that dreadful darkness while the army looked as if covered with ashes, king Dasaratha encountered the repressor of kings, descendant of Bhrugu and son of Jamadagni with a terrible crown of matted hair, inaccessible like Kailasa mountain and unendurable like the fire at the time of dissolution. The laymen gazing at his blazing energy,hanging an axe on his shoulder and holding a bow in his hand which flashed like lighning and the principal arrow he looked like Siva at the time of slaying ofTripura.
Self-mastery (indriya-nigraha) in adversity: the disciplined—sages and righteous rulers—retain composure when others collapse.
A supernatural fear overwhelms the entourage; only the principal dharmic figures remain steady as an extraordinary being approaches.
Daśaratha and the sages show controlled courage and presence of mind.