Shloka 63
अम्बा–राम–भीष्म संवादः
Amba–Rama–Bhishma Dialogue on Vow and Refuge
न तदा जातवान् भीष्म: क्षत्रियो वापि मद्विध: । पश्चाज्जातानि तेजांसि तृणेषु ज्वलितं त्वया
na tadā jātavān bhīṣmaḥ kṣatriyo vāpi madvidhaḥ | paścāj jātāni tejāṃsi tṛṇeṣu jvalitaṃ tvayā ||
Rāma dit : « En ces temps-là, ni Bhīṣma ni aucun kṣatriya tel que moi n’étaient encore nés. Les guerriers vraiment éclatants ne vinrent qu’ensuite. Toi, tu n’as fait briller ta “flamme” qu’au milieu de l’herbe sèche : tu n’as montré ta prouesse que contre des hommes faibles comme la paille. »
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Martial excellence is ethically meaningful only when tested against worthy opponents; displaying power against the weak is likened to fire flaring in dry grass—showy but not truly glorious.
Bhārgava Rāma (Paraśurāma) speaks in a confrontational exchange, belittling Bhīṣma’s reputation by claiming that Bhīṣma’s ‘brilliance’ has been shown only against inferior, straw-like warriors, not against peers of the highest calibre.