Shloka 23
Bhīṣma’s Recollection of the Duel: Charioteer’s Fall, Brahmin Protection, and Portents after Rāma’s Collapse
प्रस्वापमस्त्रं त्वरितो वचनाद् ब्रह्मवादिनाम् । विचित्र च तदस्त्रं मे मनसि प्रत्यभात् तदा
prasvāpam astraṁ tvarito vacanād brahmavādinām | vicitraṁ ca tad astraṁ me manasi pratyabhāt tadā
Бхишма сказал: «Поспешно, по наставлению мудрецов, вещающих о Брахмане, я применил оружие, наводящее сон. И в тот же миг это дивное метательное оружие ясно предстало моему уму».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in martial contexts, power (astra) is to be used under rightful guidance and disciplined intent; the verse highlights obedience to spiritually authoritative counsel and the inner clarity required to wield extraordinary force responsibly.
Bhishma recounts that, acting swiftly on the instruction of sages, he deployed a sleep-inducing weapon; simultaneously, the method and potency of that remarkable astra became vividly present in his mind.