Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच ततो रामस्य तत्कर्म श्रुत्वा राजा युधिष्ठिरः विस्मयं परमं गत्वा प्रत्युवाच जनार्दनम्
AI Translation: Vaishampayana said: Then, having heard about Rama's deed, King Yudhishthira was filled with great wonder and replied to Janardana:
अहो रामस्य वार्ष्णेय शक्रस्येव महात्मनः विक्रमो येन वसुधा क्रोधान्निःक्षत्रिया कृता
AI Translation: O Varshneya, the valor of Rama, the great soul, is indeed like that of Shakra. By whom the earth was made without Kshatriyas due to anger.
गोभिः समुद्रेण तथा गोलाङ्गूलर्क्षवानरैः गुप्ता रामभयोद्विग्नाः क्षत्रियाणां कुलोद्वहाः
M. N. Dutt: The sons of Kshatriyas, stricken with the fear of Rama, were concealed (and brought up) by kine, Ocean, pards, bears, and monkeys.
अहो धन्यो हि लोकोऽयं सभाग्याश्च नरा भुवि यत्र कर्मेदृशं धर्म्यं द्विजेन कृतमच्युत
M. N. Dutt: Indeed, Praiseworthy is this world of men and fortunate are they that live in it where such a wonderful but righteous deed was performed by a Brahinana.
तथा यान्तौ तदा तात तावच्युतयुधिष्ठिरौ जग्मतुर्यत्र गाङ्गेयः शरतल्पगतः प्रभुः
M. N. Dutt: After this discourse, those two illustrious heroes, viz., Krishna of undecaying glory and Yudhishthira proceeded where the powerful son of Ganga lay on his bed of arrows.
ततस्ते ददृशुर्भीष्मं शरप्रस्तरशायिनम् स्वरश्मिजालसंवीतं सायंसूर्यमिवानलम्
M. N. Dutt: They then saw Bhishma lying on his arrowy bed and shining like the evening Sun covered with his own rays.
उपास्यमानं मुनिभिर्देवैरिव शतक्रतुम् देशे परमधर्मिष्ठे नदीमोघवतीमनु
M. N. Dutt: The Kuru hero was encircled by many ascetics like Indra of a hundred sacrifices by the denizens of heaven. The spot on which he lay was highly sacred, for it was situate on the banks of the river Oghavati.
दूरादेव तमालोक्य कृष्णो राजा च धर्मराट् चत्वारः पाण्डवाश्चैव ते च शारद्वतादयः
AI Translation: Seeing him from afar, Krishna, King Dharmaraja, and the four Pandavas, Sharadvata and others,
अवस्कन्द्याथ वाहेभ्यः संयम्य प्रचलं मनः एकीकृत्येन्द्रियग्राममुपतस्थुर्महामुनीन्
AI Translation: Having dismounted from their vehicles, having restrained their wandering minds, having unified the group of senses, they approached the great sages.
अभिवाद्य च गोविन्दः सात्यकिस्ते च कौरवाः व्यासादींस्तानृषीन्पश्चाद्गाङ्गेयमुपतस्थिरे
M. N. Dutt: Saluting those foremost of Rishis headed by Vyasa, Govinda and Satyaki and the others came to the son of Ganga.
तपोवृद्धिं ततः पृष्ट्वा गाङ्गेयं यदुकौरवाः परिवार्य ततः सर्वे निषेदुः पुरुषर्षभाः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing Ganga's son of great ascetic merit, the Yadu and Kuru princes, took their seats, around him.
ततो निशम्य गाङ्गेयं शाम्यमानमिवानलम् किंचिद्दीनमना भीष्ममिति होवाच केशवः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing Bhishma resembling a fire about to be extinguished, Keshava with a rather depressed heart addressed him as follows.
कच्चिज्ज्ञानानि ते राजन्प्रसन्नानि यथा पुरा कच्चिदव्याकुला चैव बुद्धिस्ते वदतां वर
M. N. Dutt: Keshava said Is your understanding now as clear as before? I hope your understanding, O foremost of orators, is not clouded?
शराभिघातदुःखात्ते कच्चिद्गात्रं न दूयते मानसादपि दुःखाद्धि शारीरं बलवत्तरम्
M. N. Dutt: I hope your limbs are not afflicted by the pain originating from the wounds inflicted by arrows? Mental grief also weakens the body.
वरदानात्पितुः कामं छन्दमृत्युरसि प्रभो शंतनोर्धर्मशीलस्य न त्वेतच्छमकारणम्
M. N. Dutt: By virtue of the boon granted to you by your father, the righteous Shantanu, your death, O powerful hero, depends on your own will. I myself have not that merit for which you have obtained this boons.
सुसूक्ष्मोऽपीह देहे वै शल्यो जनयते रुजम् किं पुनः शरसंघातैश्चितस्य तव भारत
M. N. Dutt: Even the smallest Pin when put into the body produces pain. What need then be said, O king, hundreds of arrows that have pierced you?
कामं नैतत्तवाख्येयं प्राणिनां प्रभवाप्ययौ भवान्ह्युपदिशेच्छ्रेयो देवानामपि भारत
M. N. Dutt: Surely, pain cannot be said to assail you, You can, O Bharata, instruct the very celestials regarding the origin and dissolution of living creatures.
यद्धि भूतं भविष्यच्च भवच्च पुरुषर्षभ सर्वं तज्ज्ञानवृद्धस्य तव पाणाविवाहितम्
M. N. Dutt: Possessed of great knowledge, you know everything belonging to the Past, the Future and the Present.
संसारश्चैव भूतानां धर्मस्य च फलोदयः विदितस्ते महाप्राज्ञ त्वं हि ब्रह्ममयो निधिः
M. N. Dutt: The dissolution of created beings and the mode of righteousness, are well known to you, O you of great wisdom, for you are an ocean of virtue and duty.
त्वां हि राज्ये स्थितं स्फीते समग्राङ्गमरोगिणम् स्त्रीसहस्रैः परिवृतं पश्यामीहोर्ध्वरेतसम्
M. N. Dutt: While living in the climax of prosperity. I saw you forego female intercourse though surrounded by female companions.
ऋते शांतनवाद्भीष्मात्त्रिषु लोकेषु पार्थिव सत्यसंधान्महावीर्याच्छूराद्धर्मैकतत्परात्
AI Translation: Excepting Shantanu's son Bhishma, O king, in the three worlds from the one who was truthful in his vows, of great valor, from the brave one, devoted to Dharma alone,
मृत्युमावार्य तरसा शरप्रस्तरशायिनः निसर्गप्रभवं किंचिन्न च तातानुशुश्रुम
AI Translation: Having quickly warded off death, lying down on arrows and stones, We have not heard of anything that is naturally produced, O father.
सत्ये तपसि दाने च यज्ञाधिकरणे तथा धनुर्वेदे च वेदे च नित्यं चैवान्ववेक्षणे
AI Translation: In truth, austerity, generosity, and in the authority of sacrifice, And in archery and the Vedas, and always in investigation,
अनृशंसं शुचिं दान्तं सर्वभूतहिते रतम् महारथं त्वत्सदृशं न कंचिदनुशुश्रुम
AI Translation: Who is not cruel, pure, self-controlled, and devoted to the welfare of all beings. We have never heard of anyone like you, a great warrior.
त्वं हि देवान्सगन्धर्वान्ससुरासुरराक्षसान् शक्त एकरथेनैव विजेतुं नात्र संशयः
M. N. Dutt: Forsooth, you are competent to defeat, on a single car, the gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakshas, and Rakshasas.
त्वं हि भीष्म महाबाहो वसूनां वासवोपमः नित्यं विप्रैः समाख्यातो नवमोऽनवमो गुणैः
M. N. Dutt: O mighty-armed Bhishma, you are described by the Brahinanas as the ninth of the Vasus. By your virtues, however, you have excelled them all and are equal to Vasava himself.
अहं हि त्वाभिजानामि यस्त्वं पुरुषसत्तम त्रिदशेष्वपि विख्यातः स्वशक्त्या सुमहाबलः
M. N. Dutt: I know, O best of persons, that you are celebrated for your prowess, O foremost of beings, among even the very abstracts.
मनुष्येषु मनुष्येन्द्र न दृष्टो न च मे श्रुतः भवतो यो गुणैस्तुल्यः पृथिव्यां पुरुषः क्वचित्
M. N. Dutt: Among men on Earth, O foremost of men, we have never seen nor heard of any one endued with such accomplishments.
त्वं हि सर्वैर्गुणै राजन्देवानप्यतिरिच्यसे तपसा हि भवाञ्शक्तः स्रष्टुं लोकांश्चराचरान्
M. N. Dutt: O Kshatriya chief, you excell the gods themselves in these accomplishments. By your ascetic power you can create a universe of mobile and immobile creatures. What is the use of saying that you have acquired many blessed regions by means of your foremost of virtues?
Supplementary Passages:
12.50.29 After 29, K4.5 V1 B Da Dn D2.3.5.6 ins.: *116 किं पुनश्चात्मनो लोकानुत्तमानुत्तमैर्गुणैः
तदस्य तप्यमानस्य ज्ञातीनां संक्षयेण वै ज्येष्ठस्य पाण्डुपुत्रस्य शोकं भीष्म व्यपानुद
M. N. Dutt: Remove now the sorrow of the eldest son of Pandu who is burning with sorrow on account of the destruction of his kinsinen.
ये हि धर्माः समाख्याताश्चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य भारत चातुराश्रम्यसंसृष्टास्ते सर्वे विदितास्तव
M. N. Dutt: All the duties that have been laid down for the four orders about the four modes of life and well known to you.
चातुर्वेद्ये च ये प्रोक्ताश्चातुर्होत्रे च भारत सांख्ये योगे च नियता ये च धर्माः सनातनाः
AI Translation: Those mentioned in the four Vedas, in the fourfold Homa, O descendant of Bharata, Those in Sankhya, Yoga, and the eternal Dharma.
चातुर्वर्ण्येन यश्चैको धर्मो न स्म विरुध्यते सेव्यमानः स चैवाद्यो गाङ्गेय विदितस्तव
AI Translation: The one Dharma that is not contradicted by the four castes, and which, when practiced, is known to you, O son of Ganga,
Supplementary Passages:
12.50.33 After 33, K1.3.4 V1 B D (except Da2; D4 after 33ab) S (except G2) ins.: *117 प्रतिलोमप्रसूतानां म्लेच्छानां चैव यः स्मृतः देशजातिकुलानां च जानीषे धर्मलक्षणम् वेदोक्तो यश्च शिष्टोक्तः स चैव विदितस्तव K1.3 V1 B Da1 D2-5.7.8 T1 G3.4 M cont.: K5 Da2 G2 ins. after 33: *118 प्रवृत्तश्च निवृत्तश्च स चापि विदितस्तव
इतिहासपुराणं च कार्त्स्न्येन विदितं तव धर्मशास्त्रं च सकलं नित्यं मनसि ते स्थितम्
M. N. Dutt: You are the master-topics of histories and the Puranas. All the scriptures treating of duty and practice are centered in your memory.
ये च केचन लोकेऽस्मिन्नर्थाः संशयकारकाः तेषां छेत्ता नास्ति लोके त्वदन्यः पुरुषर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Except you, O foremost of men, there is no other person that can dispell the doubts that may arise regarding the subjects of knowledge studied in the world.
स पाण्डवेयस्य मनःसमुत्थितं; नरेन्द्र शोकं व्यपकर्ष मेधया भवद्विधा ह्युत्तमबुद्धिविस्तरा; विमुह्यमानस्य जनस्य शान्तये
M. N. Dutt: With the help of your intelligence, do you, O prince of men, drive the sorrow felt by the son of Pandu. Persons endued with so great and such varied knowledge live only for solacing those whose minds have been stupefied.