Shloka 9
Bhīṣma–Jāmadagnya-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma’s account of the encounter with Rāma Jāmadagnya
ततो जाल॑ बाणमयं विवृत्तं संदृश्य भित्त्वा शरजालेन राजन् | द्वादशेषून् प्राहिणवं रणेडहं ततः शक्तीरप्यधमं घोररूपा:
tato jālaṃ bāṇamayaṃ vivṛttaṃ saṃdṛśya bhittvā śarajālena rājan | dvādaśeṣūn prāhiṇavaṃ raṇe'haṃ tataḥ śaktīr apy adhamam ghorarūpāḥ ||
Alors, ô roi, voyant un filet de flèches tournoyer, je le brisai par un contre-filet de traits. Dans cette bataille, je décochai douze flèches; puis je lançai aussi d’effroyables śaktis—des lances-projectiles—à l’aspect terrifiant, afin de pousser le combat d’une force inexorable.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial response: when confronted with an overwhelming missile-formation, the warrior counters with skill and measured escalation. Ethically, it reflects kṣatriya-dharma—meeting aggression with competent defense while maintaining focus and resolve rather than panic.
Bhīṣma narrates a combat moment: he sees an opponent’s revolving ‘net’ of arrows, breaks it by launching his own arrow-net, then follows up by shooting twelve arrows and subsequently hurling terrifying spears to intensify the engagement.