Shloka 20

Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter

Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation

Devanagari script

ततो जगाम वसुधां मम बाणप्रपीडित: । जानुभ्यां धनुरुत्सृूज्य रामो मोहवशं गत:,मेरे उस बाणसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो परशुरामजीने मूच्छाके वशीभूत होकर धनुष छोड़ धरतीपर घुटने टेक दिये

Transliteration

tato jagāma vasudhāṁ mama bāṇa-prapīḍitaḥ | jānubhyāṁ dhanur utsṛjya rāmo moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ ||

Translation

ત્યારે મારા બાણથી અત્યંત પીડિત થઈ પરશુરામ (રામ) ધરતી પર પડી ગયા. મોહના વશમાં આવી તેમણે ધનુષ્ય છોડ્યું અને ઘૂંટણ ટેકી જમીન પર બેસી ગયા.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

जगामwent

वसुधाम्to the earth/ground

ममof me, my

बाण-प्रपीडितःpierced/afflicted by (my) arrow

जानुभ्याम्with (his) knees

धनुःbow

उत्सृज्यhaving cast aside/abandoned

रामःRama (Paraśurāma)

मोह-वशम्under the power of delusion/faintness

गतःgone, having fallen into

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

arrow (bāṇa)

bow (dhanuḥ)

earth/ground (vasudhā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest warrior can be brought low when clarity is lost; prowess without steadiness of mind (freedom from moha) leads to collapse, highlighting the ethical ideal of self-mastery alongside martial skill.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s account of his duel with Paraśurāma, Bhīṣma’s arrow strikes effectively; Paraśurāma, overwhelmed and pained, drops his bow and falls to the ground on his knees, indicating a turning point in the contest.