Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्य कीर्तिमतस्तात पुरा रामेण धीमता

Transliteration

tasya kīrtimatas tāta purā rāmeṇa dhīmatā |

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О дорогой, опираясь на обучение оружию, некогда дарованное в древние времена мудрым Рамой (Парашурамой) прославленному Бхишме,—обучение, сокрушающее вражеские рати,—Бхишма, престарелый прародитель рода Куру, губитель вражеских героев, день за днём продолжал поражать десять тысяч лучших воинов противостоящего (пандавского) войска.»

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.