Shloka 6
भीष्म–रामयुद्धवर्णनम्
Bhīṣma’s Account of the Strategic Engagement with Rāma Jāmadagnya
ततो निशि च राजेन्द्र प्रसुप्त: शरविक्षत: । दक्षिणेनेह पाश्वेन प्रभातसमये तदा
tato niśi ca rājendra prasuptaḥ śaravikṣataḥ | dakṣiṇeneha pārśvena prabhātasamaye tadā ||
Alors, ô roi, durant la nuit—blessé et déchiré par les flèches—je m’endormis ici, couché sur le flanc droit, tandis que l’aube approchait. Et maintenant, ô le meilleur des Kuru, je vais te rapporter ce que ces brahmanes éminents—qui m’avaient soutenu et relevé lorsque je tombai du char, et m’avaient réconforté en disant : «Ne crains rien»—me déclarèrent en songe, debout tout autour de moi. Écoute.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid the violence and pain of war, dharma is sustained through truthful counsel and fearless composure; the verse frames Bhishma’s suffering as a setting for receiving and transmitting guidance, reinforced by the reassuring words “Do not fear.”
Bhishma, grievously wounded by arrows, lies down and falls asleep near dawn on his right side. He then prepares to recount a dream-vision in which the same eminent Brahmins who earlier supported and comforted him appear around him and speak to him.