Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच अचलो वृषकश्चैव भ्रातरौ सहितावुभौ रथौ तव दुराधर्षौ शत्रून्विध्वंसयिष्यतः
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Achala and Vrishaka are two Rathas on your side who are hard to vanquish; both the brothers, united together, will destroy your enemies.
बलवन्तौ नरव्याघ्रौ दृढक्रोधौ प्रहारिणौ गान्धारमुख्यौ तरुणौ दर्शनीयौ महाबलौ
M. N. Dutt: These two best among men are mighty, inveterate in their hatred and smiters (of enemies); they are the foremost among the Gandharis, young, handsome and endued with great strength.
सखा ते दयितो नित्यं य एष रणकर्कशः प्रोत्साहयति राजंस्त्वां विग्रहे पाण्डवैः सह
M. N. Dutt: But this one who is ever your dear friend, who vaunts of bravery in battle and who encourages you, O king in your dispute with the Pandavas,
परुषः कत्थनो नीचः कर्णो वैकर्तनस्तव मन्त्री नेता च बन्धुश्च मानी चात्यन्तमुच्छ्रितः
M. N. Dutt: This man vain and mean, Karna, the son of Vikartana, who is your adviser guide and friend, and who has been placed in too elevated a position by you,
एष नैव रथः पूर्णो नाप्येवातिरथो नृप वियुक्तः कवचेनैष सहजेन विचेतनः कुण्डलाभ्यां च दिव्याभ्यां वियुक्तः सततं घृणी
M. N. Dutt: This Karna is neither a Rathi nor an Atiratha in battle. Though ever generous he has been deprived of his celestial earrings. All this is owing to the curse of Rama (his preceptor) and the words of a Brahmana.
अभिशापाच्च रामस्य ब्राह्मणस्य च भाषणात् करणानां वियोगाच्च तेन मेऽर्धरथो मतः नैष फल्गुनमासाद्य पुनर्जीवन्विमोक्ष्यते
M. N. Dutt: Owing to his being without his natural coat of mail he a Ratha in my opinion; and having once come across Falguna he will not escape him with life.
संजय उवाच ततोऽब्रवीन्महाबाहुर्द्रोणः शस्त्रभृतां वरः एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वं न मिथ्यास्तीति किंचन
M. N. Dutt: Then did Drona, the foremost among all wielders, of say as a rejoinder: "It is so; what you say is never false.
रणे रणेऽतिमानी च विमुखश्चैव दृश्यते घृणी कर्णः प्रमादी च तेन मेऽर्धरथो मतः
M. N. Dutt: In each battle is he boastful and in each he is seen to be backward. Karna is kind and also becomes confounded; he is therefore in my opinion, to half a Ratha."
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु राधेयः क्रोधादुत्फुल्ललोचनः उवाच भीष्मं राजेन्द्र तुदन्वाग्भिः प्रतोदवत्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing this, the son of Radha, expanding his eyes in wrath, said to Bhishma piercing him with his hook of words.
पितामह यथेष्टं मां वाक्शरैरुपकृन्तसि अनागसं सदा द्वेषादेवमेव पदे पदे मर्षयामि च तत्सर्वं दुर्योधनकृतेन वै
M. N. Dutt: "O grandfather, at your pleasure, do you pierce me by your arrows of words; at every step do you thus treat me out of your aversion for me, though I have committed no sin.
त्वं तु मां मन्यसेऽशक्तं यथा कापुरुषं तथा भवानर्धरथो मह्यं मतो नास्त्यत्र संशयः
AI Translation: But you think of me as incapable, just as a coward. I think you are half a chariot for me. There is no doubt about this.
सर्वस्य जगतश्चैव गाङ्गेय न मृषा वदे कुरूणामहितो नित्यं न च राजावबुध्यते
AI Translation: For the whole world, O son of Ganga, I do not speak falsely. Always for the welfare of the Kurus, but the king does not understand.
को हि नाम समानेषु राजसूदात्तकर्मसु तेजोवधमिमं कुर्याद्विभेदयिषुराहवे यथा त्वं गुणनिर्देशादपराधं चिकीर्षसि
M. N. Dutt: As you desire to do owing to your hatred towards these that endued with accomplishments. Neither age, nor wealth, nor friends,
न हायनैर्न पलितैर्न वित्तैर्न च बन्धुभिः महारथत्वं संख्यातुं शक्यं क्षत्रस्य कौरव
M. N. Dutt: are Can entitle a Kshatriya to be included in the category of Maharathas, O Kaurava. It is well-know a Kshatriya is superior by virtue of his strength and that the twice-born are superior by virtue of their learning.
बलज्येष्ठं स्मृतं क्षत्रं मन्त्रज्येष्ठा द्विजातयः धनज्येष्ठाः स्मृता वैश्याः शूद्रास्तु वयसाधिकाः
M. N. Dutt: It is also well-known that Vaishyas are superior by virtue of their wealth and that Sudras are superiors by virtue of their years. Speak for yourself then, as you please, your list of Rathas and Atirathas.
यथेच्छकं स्वयंग्राहाद्रथानतिरथांस्तथा कामद्वेषसमायुक्तो मोहात्प्रकुरुते भवान्
M. N. Dutt: Actuated by desire and hatred and acting from ignorance you have enumerated the heroes. O Duryodhana of long arms, it is for you to judge properly. May you fare well.
दुर्योधन महाबाहो साधु सम्यगवेक्ष्यताम् त्यज्यतां दुष्टभावोऽयं भीष्मः किल्बिषकृत्तव
M. N. Dutt: Abandon this wicked Bhishma of unrighteous nature for, O ruler of men, discord once being in your own army it will be difficult to bring union again.
भिन्ना हि सेना नृपते दुःसंधेया भवत्युत मौलापि पुरुषव्याघ्र किमु नाना समुत्थिता
M. N. Dutt: This remark applies to your main army, judge then about the subsidiary forces which have been raised from several sources.
एषां द्वैधं समुत्पन्नं योधानां युधि भारत तेजोवधो नः क्रियते प्रत्यक्षेण विशेषतः
M. N. Dutt: This discord has entered among warriors, already, 0 Bharata; in our very presence he saps our energies.
रथानां क्व च विज्ञानं क्व च भीष्मोऽल्पचेतनः अहमावारयिष्यामि पाण्डवानामनीकिनीम्
M. N. Dutt: How vast is the difference between the task of estimating the might of Rathas and Bhishma of little intellect. I will meet the armies of the Pandavas.
आसाद्य माममोघेषुं गमिष्यन्ति दिशो दश पाण्डवाः सहपञ्चालाः शार्दूलं वृषभा इव
M. N. Dutt: Standing against me who are infallible they will be routed in ten directions, the Pandavas with the Panchalas, like bulls meeting with a tiger.
क्व च युद्धविमर्दो वा मन्त्राः सुव्याहृतानि वा क्व च भीष्मो गतवया मन्दात्मा कालमोहितः
M. N. Dutt: How vast is the difference between real fight, the clash of weapons, good advice, uttered in sweet sounding words on one side and Bhishma who is past the prime of life, of wicked soul and who is urged by fate.
स्पर्धते हि सदा नित्यं सर्वेण जगता सह न चान्यं पुरुषं कंचिन्मन्यते मोघदर्शनः
M. N. Dutt: Alone he even boasts to fight with the entire universe, and endued with false vision he does not regard any other man as a human being.
श्रोतव्यं खलु वृद्धानामिति शास्त्रनिदर्शनम् न त्वेवाप्यतिवृद्धानां पुनर्बाला हि ते मताः
M. N. Dutt: Certainly, it has been laid down in our holy books that the words of the aged should be listened to, but it does not apply to those who are very old for they are held to be boys.
अहमेको हनिष्यामि पाण्डवान्नात्र संशयः सुयुद्धे राजशार्दूल यशो भीष्मं गमिष्यति
M. N. Dutt: Alone I shall slay the army of the sons of Pandu in a fair fight. The fame however of this will go to Bhishma, O best among kings.
कृतः सेनापतिस्त्वेष त्वया भीष्मो नराधिप सेनापतिं गुणो गन्ता न तु योधान्कथंचन
M. N. Dutt: By you, O ruler of men, has Bhishma been appointed the commander and all fame goes to the leader and never to an individual soldier.
नाहं जीवति गाङ्गेये योत्स्ये राजन्कथंचन हते तु भीष्मे योधास्मि सर्वैरेव महारथैः
M. N. Dutt: O king, never shall I fight as long as the son of Ganga is alive. When Bhishma is killed I shall fight with all the car-warriors."