Shloka 20
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
ततो जगाम वसुधां मम बाणप्रपीडित: । जानुभ्यां धनुरुत्सृूज्य रामो मोहवशं गत:,मेरे उस बाणसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो परशुरामजीने मूच्छाके वशीभूत होकर धनुष छोड़ धरतीपर घुटने टेक दिये
tato jagāma vasudhāṁ mama bāṇa-prapīḍitaḥ | jānubhyāṁ dhanur utsṛjya rāmo moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ ||
Bhīṣma dijo: «Entonces Rāma (Paraśurāma), atormentado cruelmente por mi flecha, se desplomó en la tierra; arrojando su arco, cayó bajo el dominio del extravío y se hincó de rodillas».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the mightiest warrior can be brought low when clarity is lost; prowess without steadiness of mind (freedom from moha) leads to collapse, highlighting the ethical ideal of self-mastery alongside martial skill.
In Bhīṣma’s account of his duel with Paraśurāma, Bhīṣma’s arrow strikes effectively; Paraśurāma, overwhelmed and pained, drops his bow and falls to the ground on his knees, indicating a turning point in the contest.