Shloka 20

Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter

Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation

Devanagari script

ततो जगाम वसुधां मम बाणप्रपीडित: । जानुभ्यां धनुरुत्सृूज्य रामो मोहवशं गत:,मेरे उस बाणसे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो परशुरामजीने मूच्छाके वशीभूत होकर धनुष छोड़ धरतीपर घुटने टेक दिये

Transliteration

tato jagāma vasudhāṁ mama bāṇa-prapīḍitaḥ | jānubhyāṁ dhanur utsṛjya rāmo moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ ||

Translation

แล้วพระราม (ปรศุราม) ผู้ถูกศรของข้าพเจ้าทรมานอย่างแสนสาหัส ก็ทรุดลงสู่พื้นปฐพี ทิ้งคันธนูเสีย ตกอยู่ใต้อำนาจแห่งความหลง และคุกเข่าลงกับดิน

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

जगामwent

वसुधाम्to the earth/ground

ममof me, my

बाण-प्रपीडितःpierced/afflicted by (my) arrow

जानुभ्याम्with (his) knees

धनुःbow

उत्सृज्यhaving cast aside/abandoned

रामःRama (Paraśurāma)

मोह-वशम्under the power of delusion/faintness

गतःgone, having fallen into

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

arrow (bāṇa)

bow (dhanuḥ)

earth/ground (vasudhā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest warrior can be brought low when clarity is lost; prowess without steadiness of mind (freedom from moha) leads to collapse, highlighting the ethical ideal of self-mastery alongside martial skill.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s account of his duel with Paraśurāma, Bhīṣma’s arrow strikes effectively; Paraśurāma, overwhelmed and pained, drops his bow and falls to the ground on his knees, indicating a turning point in the contest.