Shloka 20
भीष्म–जामदग्न्यसंवादः (Amba-prasaṅga and Kurukṣetra Dvandva Declaration) / Bhishma–Jamadagnya Dialogue
स मे तस्मिन् रणे पूर्व प्राहरत् कड्कपत्रिभि: | षष्ट्या शतैश्ष नवभि: शराणां नतपर्वणाम्,उस रणभूमिमें उन्होंने ही पहले मेरे ऊपर गीधकी पाँखोंसे सुशोभित तथा मुड़े हुए पर्ववाले नौ सौ साठ बाणोंद्वारा प्रहार किया
sa me tasmin raṇe pūrvaṁ prāharat kaṅkapatribhiḥ | ṣaṣṭyā śataiś ca navabhiḥ śarāṇāṁ nataparvaṇām ||
Dijo Rama: En aquella batalla, él fue el primero en herirme, descargando sobre mí novecientas sesenta flechas, adornadas con plumas de buitre y provistas de juntas curvadas. Así inició el asalto, marcando el tono de una guerra abierta, donde tanto la iniciativa como la contención se vuelven pruebas del dharma del guerrero.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya context where the opening strike and the manner of attack matter: warfare is not mere violence but a domain governed by codes, and a warrior’s conduct—initiative, proportionality, and steadfastness—becomes a measure of dharma.
Rama recounts a prior battle episode, stating that his opponent attacked first and did so with an intense volley of 960 feather-fletched arrows with bent joints, emphasizing the ferocity and the formal commencement of combat.