Shloka 636

Devanagari script

ततः समाहरद्‌ भीष्मस्तदस्त्रं पावकोपमम्‌ | उस समय कवचधारी शिखण्डीने युद्धके लिये आगे बढ़ते हुए भीष्मपर आक्रमण किया। शिखण्डीको सामने देख भीष्मने अपने अग्निके समान तेजस्वी उस दिव्यास्त्रको समेट लिया

Transliteration

tataḥ samāharad bhīṣmas tad astraṃ pāvakopamam |

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: “Bấy giờ Bhīṣma thu lại và kìm giữ thiên khí ấy, rực cháy như lửa. Thấy Śikhaṇḍin mặc giáp tiến lên để đánh mình, Bhīṣma đã chọn kiềm tay, không phóng mũi tên rực lửa kia—không chỉ vì mưu lược, mà còn vì lời thệ nguyện và phép tắc mà ông giữ giữa cơn chiến trận tàn khốc.”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• समाहरत्: drew together; withdrew; gathered up
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हृ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अस्त्रम्: weapon; missile
• अस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• पावक-उपमम्: comparable to fire; fire-like
• पावक-उपमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावक + उपम
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śikhaṇḍin
• astra (divine weapon)
• pāvaka (fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, power is not the highest value; restraint guided by dharma and personal vows can govern action. Bhīṣma’s withdrawal of a fire-like weapon signals an ethical boundary he will not cross, despite battlefield pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śikhaṇḍin advances to attack Bhīṣma. In response, Bhīṣma gathers back/withholds a blazing divine missile instead of releasing it, indicating deliberate restraint upon seeing Śikhaṇḍin.