Shloka 20
भीष्म–जामदग्न्यसंवादः (Amba-prasaṅga and Kurukṣetra Dvandva Declaration) / Bhishma–Jamadagnya Dialogue
स मे तस्मिन् रणे पूर्व प्राहरत् कड्कपत्रिभि: | षष्ट्या शतैश्ष नवभि: शराणां नतपर्वणाम्
sa me tasmin raṇe pūrvaṁ prāharat kaṅkapatribhiḥ | ṣaṣṭyā śataiś ca navabhiḥ śarāṇāṁ nataparvaṇām ||
Dalam pertempuran itu, dialah yang lebih dahulu menyerangku, menghujaniku dengan sembilan ratus enam puluh anak panah—berhias bulu burung nasar dan beruas melengkung.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya context where the opening strike and the manner of attack matter: warfare is not mere violence but a domain governed by codes, and a warrior’s conduct—initiative, proportionality, and steadfastness—becomes a measure of dharma.
Rama recounts a prior battle episode, stating that his opponent attacked first and did so with an intense volley of 960 feather-fletched arrows with bent joints, emphasizing the ferocity and the formal commencement of combat.