Shloka 21
Bhīṣma’s Recollection of the Duel: Charioteer’s Fall, Brahmin Protection, and Portents after Rāma’s Collapse
राजन! उस समय आकाश जल रहा था। सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें धूम व्याप्त हो रहा था। आकाशचारी प्राणी भी आकाशमें ठहर न सके
rājan! tadā ākāśaḥ pradīpyamāna iva āsīt | sarvāsu dikṣu dhūmaḥ samantād vyāptaḥ | ākāśacāriṇaḥ prāṇino 'pi ākāśe sthātuṃ na śekuḥ |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Raja, pada saat itu langit sendiri seakan-akan terbakar. Asap memenuhi segala penjuru. Bahkan makhluk yang bergerak di angkasa pun tidak mampu bertahan di udara.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames catastrophic natural signs as moral and political warnings: when adharma and destructive intent dominate, the world itself appears disturbed, urging rulers to act with restraint and dharma before conflict becomes inevitable.
Bhīṣma describes terrifying portents—an apparently burning sky and smoke filling every direction—so intense that even flying creatures cannot remain in the air, signaling an approaching calamity in the lead-up to war.