Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्य कीर्तिमतस्तात पुरा रामेण धीमता

Transliteration

tasya kīrtimatas tāta purā rāmeṇa dhīmatā |

Translation

संजय म्हणाला—हे तात! पूर्वकाळी परम बुद्धिमान राम (परशुराम) यांनी त्या कीर्तिमान भीष्मास जी शत्रु-सेना-विनाशक अस्त्रशिक्षा दिली होती, तिचा आधार घेऊन कौरवकुलाचे वृद्ध पितामह, शत्रुवीरांचा संहार करणारे भीष्म पांडवपक्षाच्या सैन्यात दररोज दहा हजार प्रमुख योद्धे मारत राहिले.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• कीर्तिमतः: of the renowned
• कीर्तिमतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्तिमत्
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• तात: O dear (son)!
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• रामेण: by Rama (Parashurama)
• रामेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• धीमता: by the wise
• धीमता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• Kuru dynasty (Kurukula)
• Pāṇḍava army (as the opposing host in this narration)
• Astra-śikṣā (weapon-training)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how prior training and acquired power (astra-śikṣā) can decisively shape outcomes in war, while implicitly raising the ethical tension of kṣatriya-duty: excellence in dharma-as-duty may still entail immense violence and tragic loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, drawing upon the formidable weapon-instruction he once received from Paraśurāma, is daily slaughtering vast numbers—ten thousand chief warriors—of the opposing host on the battlefield.