Shloka 8

Bhīṣma–Jāmadagnya-saṃvādaḥ

Bhishma’s account of the encounter with Rāma Jāmadagnya

Devanagari script

कि त्वेवाहं विह्नल: सम्प्रदृश्य दिग्भ्य: सर्वास्ता महोल्का इवाग्ने: । नानारूपास्तेजसोग्रेण दीप्ता यथा<55दित्या द्वादश लोकसंक्षये,प्रलयकालके बारह सूर्योके समान भयंकर तेजसे प्रज्वलित अनेक रूपवाली तथा अग्निकी प्रचण्ड ज्वालाओंके समान धधकती हुई उन शक्तियोंको सब ओरसे आती देख मैं अत्यन्त विह्वल हो गया

Transliteration

kiṁ tv evāhaṁ vihvalaḥ sampradṛśya digbhyaḥ sarvāstā maholkā ivāgneḥ | nānārūpās tejasogreṇa dīptā yathādityā dvādaśa lokasaṁkṣaye pralayakālake ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Mais lorsque je vis ces puissances fondre de toutes parts—flamboyantes comme de grands brandons arrachés à un brasier déchaîné, embrasées d’un éclat farouche sous des formes innombrables, terribles comme les douze soleils qui paraissent à l’heure de la dissolution du monde—je fus entièrement ébranlé et accablé.»

Word by Word

• {'kiṁ tu eva': 'but indeed

• however', 'aham': 'I', 'vihvalaḥ': 'bewildered, shaken, overwhelmed', 'sampradṛśya': 'having clearly seen

• upon beholding', 'digbhyaḥ': 'from the directions

• from all quarters', 'sarvāḥ': 'all (feminine plural)', 'tāḥ': 'those (feminine plural)', 'maholkāḥ': 'great firebrands

• blazing meteors/brands', 'iva': 'like

• as if', 'agneḥ': 'of fire', 'nānārūpāḥ': 'of many forms

• multiform', 'tejasā': 'with radiance

• with fiery energy', 'ugreṇa': 'fierce, dreadful, intense', 'dīptāḥ': 'blazing, shining', 'yathā': 'as

• like', 'ādityāḥ': 'suns (Ādityas)', 'dvādaśa': 'twelve', 'lokasaṁkṣaye': 'at the destruction of the worlds

• at cosmic dissolution', 'pralayakālake': 'at the time of pralaya (cosmic dissolution)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Agni (fire)
• Adityas (suns)
• Directions (quarters)
• Pralaya (cosmic dissolution)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming, destructive power—likened to pralaya-fire and multiple suns—can shake even the steadfast. Ethically, it underscores the gravity of forces unleashed in adharma-driven conflict: when violence escalates beyond restraint, it assumes a cosmic, uncontrollable character that terrifies the wise.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes witnessing formidable ‘powers’ (śaktis/energies, portrayed as blazing forms) approaching from all directions. Their radiance is compared to firebrands and to the twelve suns at the end of the world, and he confesses that the sight left him stunned and distressed.