Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच ततो मामब्रवीद्रामः प्रहसन्निव भारत दिष्ट्या भीष्म मया सार्धं योद्धुमिच्छसि संगरे
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Then did Rama say to me with a laugh, O Bharata:-It is fortunate, O Bhishma that you want to fight with me in battle.
अयं गच्छामि कौरव्य कुरुक्षेत्रं त्वया सह भाषितं तत्करिष्यामि तत्रागच्छेः परंतप
M. N. Dutt: I shall now go, O son of Kuru, to Kurukshetra with you. I shall do what you say. Go there, O chastiser of foes.
तत्र त्वां निहतं माता मया शरशताचितम् जाह्नवी पश्यतां भीष्म गृध्रकङ्कबडाशनम्
M. N. Dutt: There will your mother Jahnavi see yourself slain by my hundred arrows, O Bhishma, and be made the food of vultures and other birds of prey.
कृपणं त्वामभिप्रेक्ष्य सिद्धचारणसेविता मया विनिहतं देवी रोदतामद्य पार्थिव
M. N. Dutt: O ruler of the earth, let your mothe worshipped by Siddhas and Charanas seeing yourself slain by me, weep today.
अतदर्हा महाभागा भगीरथसुता नदी या त्वामजीजनन्मन्दं युद्धकामुकमातुरम्
M. N. Dutt: Your mother of great parts, the daughter of Bhagiratha that gave birth to you, fool that you are, and affected by the desire of fight, is however undeserving of such a sight.
एहि गच्छ मया भीष्म युद्धमद्यैव वर्तताम् गृहाण सर्वं कौरव्य रथादि भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Come and let us go together, O Bhishma, who are hard to vanquish in battle and desirous of war; take, O son of Kuru, your chariots etc. O foremost among the Bharatas,
इति ब्रुवाणं तमहं रामं परपुरंजयम् प्रणम्य शिरसा राजन्नेवमस्त्वित्यथाब्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: To Rama the conquered of enemies towns who thus said then I bowed my head and said "Be it so."
एवमुक्त्वा ययौ रामः कुरुक्षेत्रं युयुत्सया प्रविश्य नगरं चाहं सत्यवत्यै न्यवेदयम्
M. N. Dutt: Rama, saying this, went to Kurukshetra with the desire of war and I too entering the city submitted every thing to Satyavati.
ततः कृतस्वस्त्ययनो मात्रा प्रत्यभिनन्दितः द्विजातीन्वाच्य पुण्याहं स्वस्ति चैव महाद्युते
M. N. Dutt: Then after performing propitiatory rites and being blessed by my mother and asking the twice born to bless me,
रथमास्थाय रुचिरं राजतं पाण्डुरैर्हयैः सूपस्करं स्वधिष्ठानं वैयाघ्रपरिवारणम्
M. N. Dutt: I mounted a beautiful chariot made of silver and drawn by white horses, beautiful to look at, furnished with good seats, and covered with tiger skins.
उपपन्नं महाशस्त्रैः सर्वोपकरणान्वितम् तत्कुलीनेन वीरेण हयशास्त्रविदा नृप
M. N. Dutt: It was also furnished with great weapons and all other necessary things and guided by a charioteer of good birth well versed in the art of the management of horses,
युक्तं सूतेन शिष्टेन बहुशो दृष्टकर्मणा दंशितः पाण्डुरेणाहं कवचेन वपुष्मता
M. N. Dutt: Careful and well trained in battle and who had seen many deeds of bravery. I too, with my body covered with a white coat of mail,
पाण्डुरं कार्मुकं गृह्य प्रायां भरतसत्तम पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण ध्रियमाणेन मूर्धनि
M. N. Dutt: And taking a white bow, went out, O best among the Bharatas with a white umbrella held over my head.
पाण्डुरैश्चामरैश्चापि वीज्यमानो नराधिप शुक्लवासाः सितोष्णीषः सर्वशुक्लविभूषणः
M. N. Dutt: I was also fanned by white fans, O ruler of men. I was clad with white garments, white head dress and all my ornaments were white.
स्तूयमानो जयाशीर्भिर्निष्क्रम्य गजसाह्वयात् कुरुक्षेत्रं रणक्षेत्रमुपायां भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: I went out of the city called after the elephant, being eulogized with prayers for my victory and approached the site of battle namely Kurukshetra.
ते हयाश्चोदितास्तेन सूतेन परमाहवे अवहन्मां भृशं राजन्मनोमारुतरंहसः
M. N. Dutt: Those horses fleet as the mind or the wind, urged by that charioteer, took me, O king, to the great battle.
गत्वाहं तत्कुरुक्षेत्रं स च रामः प्रतापवान् युद्धाय सहसा राजन्पराक्रान्तौ परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: Myself as also that Rama endued with luster having reached Kurukshetra was each desirous of showing our prowess.
ततः संदर्शनेऽतिष्ठं रामस्यातितपस्विनः प्रगृह्य शङ्खप्रवरं ततः प्राधममुत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: Coming within the sight of that excellent ascetic Rama, I took my good conch and loudly blew it.
ततस्तत्र द्विजा राजंस्तापसाश्च वनौकसः अपश्यन्त रणं दिव्यं देवाः सर्षिगणास्तदा
M. N. Dutt: At the time, O king, there were ascetics and other dwellers of the forest as well as groups of gods with Indra at their head to see that fight.
ततो दिव्यानि माल्यानि प्रादुरासन्मुहुर्मुहुः वादित्राणि च दिव्यानि मेघवृन्दानि चैव ह
M. N. Dutt: There were seen at the time divine garlands and divine music and masses of clouds.
ततस्ते तापसाः सर्वे भार्गवस्यानुयायिनः प्रेक्षकाः समपद्यन्त परिवार्य रणाजिरम्
M. N. Dutt: Then did all the devotees, the followers of the scion of Bhrigu's race, become the spectators and surround us.
ततो मामब्रवीद्देवी सर्वभूतहितैषिणी माता स्वरूपिणी राजन्किमिदं ते चिकीर्षितम्
M. N. Dutt: Then did my divine mother, doing good to all creatures, in her own form say to me, O king, "what is this desired by you?
गत्वाहं जामदग्न्यं तं प्रयाचिष्ये कुरूद्वह भीष्मेण सह मा योत्सीः शिष्येणेति पुनः पुनः
M. N. Dutt: O supporter of the Kuru race, going to the son of Jamadagni I shall beg of him again and again saying: Do not fight with Bhishma.
मा मैवं पुत्र निर्बन्धं कुरु विप्रेण पार्थिव जामदग्न्येन समरे योद्धुमित्यवभर्त्सयत्
M. N. Dutt: Do not, my son fight thus with a Brahmana, O ruler of the earth, do not fight with the son of Jamadagni;" it was thus that she reproved me.
किं न वै क्षत्रियहरो हरतुल्यपराक्रमः विदितः पुत्र रामस्ते यतस्त्वं योद्धुमिच्छसि
M. N. Dutt: He has strength similar to that of Hara and he is the exterminator of the Kshatriya race, Rama with whom you desire to fight is well known to you.
ततोऽहमब्रुवं देवीमभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः सर्वं तद्भरतश्रेष्ठ यथावृत्तं स्वयंवरे
M. N. Dutt: Then did I say to that goddess after bowing to her and clasping my hands all that had happened in the election of husband, O foremost among the Bharatas.
यथा च रामो राजेन्द्र मया पूर्वं प्रसादितः काशिराजसुतायाश्च यथा कामः पुरातनः
M. N. Dutt: I told her also the way Rama had been spoken to by me, O chief among kings, and the old doings of the daughter of the king of the Kashis.
ततः सा राममभ्येत्य जननी मे महानदी मदर्थं तमृषिं देवी क्षमयामास भार्गवम् भीष्मेण सह मा योत्सीः शिष्येणेति वचोऽब्रवीत्
AI Translation: Then that great river, my mother, approached Rama, and the goddess, for my sake, forgave that sage Bhārgava. She said, "Do not fight with Bhish
स च तामाह याचन्तीं भीष्ममेव निवर्तय न हि मे कुरुते काममित्यहं तमुपागमम्
M. N. Dutt: Said these words: “Do not fight with Bhishma for he is your pupil” and he too said to her who was beseeching him. “Turn back the purpose of Bhishma. I am here because he does not perform what I desire."
संजय उवाच ततो गङ्गा सुतस्नेहाद्भीष्मं पुनरुपागमत् न चास्याः सोऽकरोद्वाक्यं क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Then did Ganga, out of affection for her son, come again to Bhishma but he with eyes expanded with wrath did not attend to her words.
अथादृश्यत धर्मात्मा भृगुश्रेष्ठो महातपाः आह्वयामास च पुनर्युद्धाय द्विजसत्तमः
M. N. Dutt: Then did the great devotee of virtuous soul, the foremost of the race of Bhrigu present himself to his view and that best among the twice born summoned him to fight.