Shloka 6
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
ततः सूते हते तस्मिन् क्षिपतस्तस्य मे शरान् | प्रमत्तमनसो राम: प्राहिणोन्मृत्युसम्मितम्
tataḥ sūte hate tasmin kṣipatastasya me śarān | pramattamanaso rāmaḥ prāhiṇon mṛtyusammitam ||
Dijo Bhishma: «Cuando aquel auriga hubo sido abatido, mientras seguía lanzándome flechas, yo—con la mente un instante descuidada—iba cortando los dardos de Parashurama. Entonces Rama (Parashurama) soltó contra mí una flecha terrible, igual a la muerte misma».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a brief lapse in vigilance during righteous duty (especially in battle) can invite grave danger; the verse highlights the ethical weight of attentiveness and self-mastery amid conflict.
In the Bhīṣma–Paraśurāma combat episode, after the charioteer is killed, Paraśurāma continues to shoot at Bhīṣma; Bhīṣma, momentarily inattentive though cutting down the incoming arrows, faces a death-like missile launched by Paraśurāma.