Shloka 6
भीष्म–रामजामदग्न्ययुद्धप्रस्थानवर्णनम्
Bhishma’s Account of Parashurama’s Challenge and the March to Kurukshetra
ततो<हं शरवर्षेण महता समवाकिरम् | सच मां शरवर्षेण वर्षन्तं समवाकिरत्,तदनन्तर मैंने उनपर बाणोंकी भारी वर्षा की। फिर उन्होंने भी बाणोंकी वर्षा करनेवाले मुझ भीष्मपर बहुत-से बाण बरसाये
tato 'haṃ śaravarṣeṇa mahatā samavākiram | sa ca māṃ śaravarṣeṇa varṣantaṃ samavākirat |
Alors je l’assaillis d’une grande pluie de flèches. Et lui, à son tour, me couvrit—moi, Bhīṣma—tandis que je déchaînais cette tempête de traits, d’une averse serrée de ses propres flèches, tandis que la fureur du combat montait des deux côtés.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of steadfastness and measured reciprocity in battle: force is met with force, and one must remain unwavering even when the opponent responds with equal intensity.
Bhīṣma narrates a combat exchange: he first overwhelms his opponent with a mighty shower of arrows, and the opponent immediately counters by covering Bhīṣma—who is still releasing arrows—with an equally heavy arrow-storm.