Shloka 12
भीष्म–रामयुद्धवर्णनम्
Bhīṣma’s Account of the Strategic Engagement with Rāma Jāmadagnya
प्राजापत्यं विश्वकृतं प्रस्वापं नाम भारत । न हीदं वेद रामो5पि पृथिव्यां वा पुमान् क्वचित्
prājāpatyaṃ viśvakṛtaṃ prasvāpaṃ nāma bhārata | na hīdaṃ veda rāmo 'pi pṛthivyāṃ vā pumān kvacit ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Bharata, voici l’arme nommée Prasvāpa, placée sous l’égide de Prajāpati et conçue par Viśvakarman. Même Rāma (Paraśurāma) ne la connaît pas ; en vérité, nul homme sur cette terre n’en possède la science.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the idea that certain powers (astric knowledge) are extraordinarily rare and lineage-bound, surpassing even famed masters like Paraśurāma; such knowledge implies responsibility and restraint in its use.
Bhīṣma identifies and authenticates a specific divine weapon—Prasvāpa—stating its divine affiliation (Prajāpati) and maker (Viśvakarman), and emphasizing its exclusivity by noting that even Paraśurāma and all other men on earth do not know it.