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,उस रणभूमिमें उन्होंने ही पहले मेरे ऊपर गीधकी पाँखोंसे सुशोभित तथा मुड़े हुए पर्ववाले नौ सौ साठ बाणोंद्वारा प्रहार किया
sa me tasmin raṇe pūrvaṁ prāharat kaṅkapatribhiḥ | ṣaṣṭyā śataiś ca navabhiḥ śarāṇāṁ nataparvaṇām ||
Rama berkata: Dalam pertempuran itu, dialah yang terlebih dahulu menyerangku, menghujaniku dengan sembilan ratus enam puluh anak panah—dihiasi bulu burung hering dan dipasang sendi yang melengkung. Demikianlah dia memulakan serangan, menetapkan nada peperangan terbuka, di mana inisiatif dan juga pengekangan menjadi ujian dharma seorang pahlawan.
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.