Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच ततः सत्यवती दीना कृपणा पुत्रगृद्धिनी पुत्रस्य कृत्वा कार्याणि स्नुषाभ्यां सह भारत
AI Translation: Vaishmapayana said Then Satyavati, distressed and needy, longing for her son, Having performed the rites for her son, together with her daughters-in-law, O descendant of Bharata,
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.1 N ins. after 1: *1022 समाश्वास्य स्नुषे ते च भीष्मं धर्मभृतां वरम् S on the other hand ins. after 1: *1023 माता सत्यवती भीष्ममुवाच वदतां वरम्
धर्मं च पितृवंशं च मातृवंशं च मानिनी प्रसमीक्ष्य महाभागा गाङ्गेयं वाक्यमब्रवीत्
AI Translation: The noble one, considering her own dharma, her father's lineage, and her mother's lineage, spoke these words to the son of Ganga.
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.2 After 2, S ins.: *1024 दुःखार्दिता तु शोकेन मज्जन्तीव च सागरे
शंतनोर्धर्मनित्यस्य कौरव्यस्य यशस्विनः त्वयि पिण्डश्च कीर्तिश्च संतानं च प्रतिष्ठितम्
AI Translation: For Shantanu, who was devoted to dharma, who was glorious, and who was a descendant of the Kouravas, Your body, fame, and lineage are established in you.
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.3 After 3, S ins.: *1025 भ्राता विचित्रवीर्यस्ते भूतानामन्तमेयिवान्
यथा कर्म शुभं कृत्वा स्वर्गोपगमनं ध्रुवम् यथा चायुर्ध्रुवं सत्ये त्वयि धर्मस्तथा ध्रुवः
M. N. Dutt: As the attainment of heaven is certain from good deeds, as long life is certain from truth, so virtue is certainly inseparable from you.
वेत्थ धर्मांश्च धर्मज्ञ समासेनेतरेण च विविधास्त्वं श्रुतीर्वेत्थ वेत्थ वेदांश्च सर्वशः
M. N. Dutt: O virtuous man, you are well acquainted with the precepts of virtue, both in abstract and in detail. You are learned in the various Shrutis and in all the branches of the Vedas.
व्यवस्थानं च ते धर्मे कुलाचारं च लक्षये प्रतिपत्तिं च कृच्छ्रेषु शुक्राङ्गिरसयोरिव
M. N. Dutt: I know you are like Indra and Angiras in firmness, in virtuous, in preserving familycustoms and in the presence of mind.
तस्मात्सुभृशमाश्वस्य त्वयि धर्मभृतां वर कार्ये त्वां विनियोक्ष्यामि तच्छ्रुत्वा कर्तुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: Therefore, O best of virtuous men, greatly relying on you, I shall appoint you to do a certain act. Hearing it, you should do it.
मम पुत्रस्तव भ्राता वीर्यवान्सुप्रियश्च ते बाल एव गतः स्वर्गमपुत्रः पुरुषर्षभ
AI Translation: My son, your brother, was valorous and dear to you. Though a child, he has gone to heaven. You are childless, O bull among men.
इमे महिष्यौ भ्रातुस्ते काशिराजसुते शुभे रूपयौवनसंपन्ने पुत्रकामे च भारत
AI Translation: These two bulls are your brother's, O beautiful daughter of the king of Kashi, endowed with beauty and youth, and desirous of sons, O descendant of Bharata.
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.9 After 9, S ins.: *1026 धर्म्यमेतत्परं ज्ञात्वा
तयोरुत्पादयापत्यं संतानाय कुलस्य नः मन्नियोगान्महाभाग धर्मं कर्तुमिहार्हसि
AI Translation: For the sake of the continuation of our family, you should produce a child with her. O noble one, by my order, you should perform the religious rites here.
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.10 After 10a, S ins.: *1027 संतानकुलवर्धनम्
राज्ये चैवाभिषिच्यस्व भारताननुशाधि च दारांश्च कुरु धर्मेण मा निमज्जीः पितामहान्
M. N. Dutt: "Install yourself on the throne of the kingdom and rule the domain of the Bharatas. Marry wife according to the rites. Do not sink your ancestors in hell."
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.11 After 11, K4 D2.4 (both marg. sec. m.) ins.: *1028 अग्निहोत्रं त्रयो वेदाः संतानमपि चाक्षयम् एषा त्रयी तु संप्रोक्ता स्वर्गमोक्षफलप्रदा
तथोच्यमानो मात्रा च सुहृद्भिश्च परंतपः प्रत्युवाच स धर्मात्मा धर्म्यमेवोत्तरं वचः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said : Thus addressed by his mother, relatives and friends, the chastiser of foes, the virtuousminded (Bhishma) said the following comfortable to the dictates of virtues.
असंशयं परो धर्मस्त्वया मातरुदाहृतः त्वमपत्यं प्रति च मे प्रतिज्ञां वेत्थ वै पराम्
AI Translation: There is no doubt that the highest dharma has been spoken by you, O mother. And you know my vow towards my son.
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.13 For 13cd, S subst.: *1029 राज्यार्थे नाभिषिच्येयं नोपेयां जातु मैथुनम् भवत्या मतमाज्ञाय कृतमेतद्व्रतं मया
जानासि च यथावृत्तं शुल्कहेतोस्त्वदन्तरे स सत्यवति सत्यं ते प्रतिजानाम्यहं पुनः
AI Translation: And you know how it happened, for the sake of the bride-price, in your presence. I solemnly promise you, Satyavati, that it is true.
परित्यजेयं त्रैलोक्यं राज्यं देवेषु वा पुनः यद्वाप्यधिकमेताभ्यां न तु सत्यं कथंचन
M. N. Dutt: I can renounce the three worlds, I can renounce the kingdom of heaven or anything that may be greater than the both, but I can never renounce truth.
त्यजेच्च पृथिवी गन्धमापश्च रसमात्मनः ज्योतिस्तथा त्यजेद्रूपं वायुः स्पर्शगुणं त्यजेत्
AI Translation: Earth should give up its smell, water its taste, and fire its form. Wind should give up its quality of touch,
प्रभां समुत्सृजेदर्को धूमकेतुस्तथोष्णताम् त्यजेच्छब्दं तथाकाशः सोमः शीतांशुतां त्यजेत्
AI Translation: The sun would give up its radiance, the comet its heat, The sky would give up its sound, the moon its cool rays,
विक्रमं वृत्रहा जह्याद्धर्मं जह्याच्च धर्मराट् न त्वहं सत्यमुत्स्रष्टुं व्यवसेयं कथंचन
M. N. Dutt: The slayer of Vitra (Indra) may renounce his prowess and the king of justice his impartiality, but I cannot renounce truth.”
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.18 After 18, D4 (marg.) S ins.: *1030 तन्न जात्वन्यथा कार्यं लोकानामपि संक्षये अमरत्वस्य वा हेतोस्त्रैलोक्यसदनस्य वा
एवमुक्ता तु पुत्रेण भूरिद्रविणतेजसा माता सत्यवती भीष्ममुवाच तदनन्तरम्
AI Translation: Thus addressed by his son, who was rich in wealth and energy, his mother Satyavati spoke to Bhishma immediately after that.
जानामि ते स्थितिं सत्ये परां सत्यपराक्रम इच्छन्सृजेथास्त्रीँल्लोकानन्यांस्त्वं स्वेन तेजसा
AI Translation: I know your position in truth, O you of supreme prowess in truth. Wishing to create the three worlds, you create them with your own brilliance.
जानामि चैव सत्यं तन्मदर्थं यदभाषथाः आपद्धर्ममवेक्षस्व वह पैतामहीं धुरम्
AI Translation: I know the truth of what you have said for my sake. Consider the Dharma in times of adversity and bear the burden of your ancestors.
यथा ते कुलतन्तुश्च धर्मश्च न पराभवेत् सुहृदश्च प्रहृष्येरंस्तथा कुरु परंतप
M. N. Dutt: "O chastiser of foes, act in a way so that virtue is not destroyed and so that the thread of our race is not broken and our friends and relatives may not grieve.”
Supplementary Passages:
1.97.22 After 22, D4 (marg.) S ins.: *1031 आत्मनश्च हितं तात प्रियं च मम भारत
लालप्यमानां तामेवं कृपणां पुत्रगृद्धिनीम् धर्मादपेतं ब्रुवतीं भीष्मो भूयोऽब्रवीदिदम्
M. N. Dutt: Having been thus again and again urged by his miserable and son-bereaved mother (Satyavati), with words inconsistent with virtue, Bhishma said-
राज्ञि धर्मानवेक्षस्व मा नः सर्वान्व्यनीनशः सत्याच्च्युतिः क्षत्रियस्य न धर्मेषु प्रशस्यते
M. N. Dutt: “O queen, turn your eyes on virtue. Do not destroy us all. The violation of truth in Kshatriyas is never praised in the scriptures.
शंतनोरपि संतानं यथा स्यादक्षयं भुवि तत्ते धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामि क्षात्रं राज्ञि सनातनम्
M. N. Dutt: O queen, I shall tell you the everlasting usage of the Kshatriyas, to which recourse may be had in order to prevent the line of Shantanu being extinct.
श्रुत्वा तं प्रतिपद्येथाः प्राज्ञैः सह पुरोहितैः आपद्धर्मार्थकुशलैर्लोकतन्त्रमवेक्ष्य च
M. N. Dutt: Hearing it, consider what should be done, in consultation with the priests and those wise men who know what practices are allowable in the time of emergency and distress. Forget not the ordinary course of social conduct."