Shloka 15

भीष्म–रामजामदग्न्ययुद्धप्रस्थानवर्णनम्

Bhishma’s Account of Parashurama’s Challenge and the March to Kurukshetra

Devanagari script

ततो<हं भरतश्रेष्ठ संन्यषीदं रथोत्तमे । ततो मां कश्मलाविष्टं सूतस्तूर्णमुदावहत्‌

Transliteration

tato 'haṃ bharataśreṣṭha saṃnyasīdaṃ rathottame | tato māṃ kaśmalāviṣṭaṃ sūtas tūrṇam udāvahat ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Alors, ô meilleur des Bhārata, blessé et accablé, je m’affaissai sur ce char d’exception. Me voyant saisi de défaillance et de trouble, le cocher m’emmena au plus vite loin de ce lieu.»

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, nominative, singular

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• संन्यषीदम्: I sat down / I seated myself
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-षद्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 1st, singular, parasmaipada

• रथोत्तमे: on/in the excellent chariot
• रथोत्तमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ-उत्तम
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, accusative, singular

• कश्मलाविष्टम्: overcome by faintness/confusion
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कश्मल-आविष्ट
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• सूतः: the charioteer
• सूतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम्

• उदावहत्: carried off / drove away
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-वाह्
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• charioteer (sūta)
• excellent chariot (rathottama)
• Bharata (as lineage/address: bharataśreṣṭha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the greatest warriors are subject to bodily limits and moments of kaśmala (overwhelming distress). The episode highlights prudent protection and tactical withdrawal by attendants, showing that sustaining dharma in war includes preserving life and capacity rather than reckless persistence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recounts that after being wounded he collapsed on his chariot. Observing him overcome by faintness/confusion, his charioteer swiftly drove him away from the immediate danger.