Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच सा निष्क्रमन्ती नगराच्चिन्तयामास भारत पृथिव्यां नास्ति युवतिर्विषमस्थतरा मया बान्धवैर्विप्रहीनास्मि शाल्वेन च निराकृता
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said As she sorrowfully issued out of the capital she thought within herself: “In this world there is no young woman in a more difficult situation than myself.
न च शक्यं पुनर्गन्तुं मया वारणसाह्वयम् अनुज्ञातास्मि भीष्मेण शाल्वमुद्दिश्य कारणम्
AI Translation: And I cannot go back to Vārāṇasī. I have been permitted by Bhīṣma for the sake of Śālva.
किं नु गर्हाम्यथात्मानमथ भीष्मं दुरासदम् आहोस्वित्पितरं मूढं यो मेऽकार्षीत्स्वयंवरम्
AI Translation: What shall I blame, myself or Bhishma, who is hard to approach, Or my father, who is foolish, and who made me choose my own husband?
ममायं स्वकृतो दोषो याहं भीष्मरथात्तदा प्रवृत्ते वैशसे युद्धे शाल्वार्थं नापतं पुरा तस्येयं फलनिर्वृत्तिर्यदापन्नास्मि मूढवत्
M. N. Dutt: I did not leap down to join Shalva, when Bhishma was engaged in fierce battle. The result of that is this, namely that I have been made a fool of.
धिग्भीष्मं धिक्च मे मन्दं पितरं मूढचेतसम् येनाहं वीर्यशुल्केन पण्यस्त्रीवत्प्रवेरिता
M. N. Dutt: Shame on Bhishma, shame on my idiotic father of foolish heart that fixed velour to be my dower as if I were a woman who could be sold at a price,
धिङ्मां धिक्शाल्वराजानं धिग्धातारमथापि च येषां दुर्नीतभावेन प्राप्तास्म्यापदमुत्तमाम्
M. N. Dutt: Shame on myself, shame on king Shalva, shame also on the creator through whose fault I am now placed in this difficulty.
सर्वथा भागधेयानि स्वानि प्राप्नोति मानवः अनयस्यास्य तु मुखं भीष्मः शांतनवो मम
M. N. Dutt: In all circumstances does a man go through his share of worldly happiness and misery but Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, is the prime cause of this difficulty.
सा भीष्मे प्रतिकर्तव्यमहं पश्यामि सांप्रतम् तपसा वा युधा वापि दुःखहेतुः स मे मतः को नु भीष्मं युधा जेतुमुत्सहेत महीपतिः
M. N. Dutt: I now see that for the present I should have revenge on that Bhishma either by austerities or by battle, for in my opinion he is the cause of my misery.
एवं सा परिनिश्चित्य जगाम नगराद्बहिः आश्रमं पुण्यशीलानां तापसानां महात्मनाम् ततस्तामवसद्रात्रिं तापसैः परिवारिता
M. N. Dutt: To a hermitage of a great souled anchorite of virtuous ways of life and she stayed there for the night surrounded by anchorites.
आचख्यौ च यथा वृत्तं सर्वमात्मनि भारत विस्तरेण महाबाहो निखिलेन शुचिस्मिता हरणं च विसर्गं च शाल्वेन च विसर्जनम्
M. N. Dutt: That lady of sweet smiles told them, everything about herself in due order, O Bharata, in detail, the story of her abduction, her liberation and her abandonment by Shalva.
ततस्तत्र महानासीद्ब्राह्मणः संशितव्रतः शैखावत्यस्तपोवृद्धः शास्त्रे चारण्यके गुरुः
M. N. Dutt: There lived a great Brahmana of rigid vows Shaikhavatya by name, old in devotion and a preceptor of the holy books and the Arariyakas.
आर्तां तामाह स मुनिः शैखावत्यो महातपाः निःश्वसन्तीं सतीं बालां दुःखशोकपरायणाम्
M. N. Dutt: That anchorite, of eminent devotion, said to that chaste lady who was in extreme difficuity and who was sighing in grief and distress.
एवं गते किं नु भद्रे शक्यं कर्तुं तपस्विभिः आश्रमस्थैर्महाभागैस्तपोनित्यैर्महात्मभिः
M. N. Dutt: Such being the case, gentle lady, what can be done by devotees residing in this hermitage, of great parts and great souled though they be?
सा त्वेनमब्रवीद्राजन्क्रियतां मदनुग्रहः प्रव्राजितुमिहेच्छामि तपस्तप्स्यामि दुश्चरम्
M. N. Dutt: She however thus replied, O king: "Show me this favour. I desire to wander about and to practice hard devotion.
मयैवैतानि कर्माणि पूर्वदेहेषु मूढया कृतानि नूनं पापानि तेषामेतत्फलं ध्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: The deeds that had been done by me in a previous life out of folly are certainly misdeeds and this is surely the result of that.
नोत्सहेयं पुनर्गन्तुं स्वजनं प्रति तापसाः प्रत्याख्याता निरानन्दा शाल्वेन च निराकृता
M. N. Dutt: I do not venture to go back to my kindred, O devctees, rejected and rendered cheerless and y. nged by Shalva.
उपदिष्टमिहेच्छामि तापस्यं वीतकल्मषाः युष्माभिर्देवसंकाशाः कृपा भवतु वो मयि
M. N. Dutt: I wish to be instructed here (in asceticism), O ascetics, whose sins have been washed off by you who are god-like; let kindness be shown to me."
स तामाश्वासयत्कन्यां दृष्टान्तागमहेतुभिः सान्त्वयामास कार्यं च प्रतिजज्ञे द्विजैः सह
M. N. Dutt: He then comforted that lady by citing instances and examples and consoled her by promising to do her work along with others among the twice-born.