Shloka 23
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
ततस्तस्मिन् निपतिते रामे भूरिसहस्रदे । आवव्रुर्जलदा व्योम क्षरन्तो रुधिरं बहु,ववुश्च वाता: परुषाश्वलिता च वसुन्धरा । गृध्रा बलाश्न कड़काश्च परिपेतुर्मुदा युता: वायु तीव्र वेगसे बहने लगी, धरती डोलने लगी, गीध, कौवे और कंक प्रसन्नतापूर्वक सब ओर उड़ने लगे
tatastasmīn nipatite rāme bhūrisahasrade | āvavruḥ jaladā vyoma kṣaranto rudhiraṃ bahu || vavuśca vātāḥ paruṣāś calitā ca vasundharā | gṛdhrā balāśinaḥ kāṅkāś ca paripetur mudā yutāḥ ||
Бхишма сказал: Когда Рама пал, тучи затянули небо и пролили много крови. Поднялись суровые ветры, и земля задрожала. Стервятники, вороны и коршуны кружили повсюду, словно ликуя, — зловещие знамения падения великого воина.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses terrifying natural portents—blood-rain, fierce winds, trembling earth, and carrion birds—to suggest that extreme violence and the fall of a great figure disturb moral and cosmic balance. It cautions that actions in war have consequences beyond the battlefield, casting an ethical shadow even over martial prowess.
Bhīṣma describes the moment when Rāma (Paraśurāma) falls: the sky is covered by clouds that seem to rain blood, violent winds blow, the earth shakes, and scavenger birds circle joyfully—traditional epic signs of calamity and impending destruction.