Bhīṣma’s Recollection of the Duel: Charioteer’s Fall, Brahmin Protection, and Portents after Rāma’s Collapse
ततो भरतशार्दूल धिष्ण्यमाकाशगं यथा । स मामभ्यवधीत् तूर्ण जन्रुदेशे कुरूद्धह,भरतश्रेष्ठ! कुरुकुलरत्न! फिर आकाशवर्ती नक्षत्रके समान प्रकाशित होनेवाली उस शक्तिने तुरंत आकर मेरे गलेकी हँसलीपर आघात किया
tato bharataśārdūla dhiṣṇyam ākāśagaṃ yathā | sā mām abhyavadhīt tūrṇaṃ grīvādeśe kurūdvaha ||
Kemudian, wahai harimau di antara Bharata, śakti yang menyala itu—bersinar seperti bintang yang bergerak di langit—meluru pantas lalu menghentam bahagian leherku.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights the harsh inevitability of warfare and the ethical ideal of steadfast endurance: a warrior may be struck down suddenly, yet dignity and resolve in the face of suffering remain central to kṣatriya-dharma.
Bhīṣma describes a radiant śakti-like force, compared to a sky-moving star, that swiftly comes and strikes him at the neck region, marking a decisive moment of injury in the account he is narrating.