Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच शृणु चेदं महाराज ब्रह्मभूतस्तवं मम ब्रह्मर्षिभिश्च देवैश्च यः पुरा कथितो भुवि
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Hear, O monarch, from me this hymn, chanted by Brahma himself, and recounted in the days of yore to men on earth by the Brahmanical sages and the celestial.
साध्यानामपि देवानां देवदेवेश्वरः प्रभुः लोकभावनभावज्ञ इति त्वां नारदोऽब्रवीत् भूतं भव्यं भविष्यं च मार्कण्डेयोऽभ्युवाच ह
M. N. Dutt: “You are the Master of the Sadhyas and the celestial and are the Lord of the god of gods, the Protector of people and the Knower of all hearts. Thus has the sage Narada sung of you.
यज्ञानां चैव यज्ञं त्वां तपश्च तपसामपि देवानामपि देवं च त्वामाह भगवान्भृगुः पुराणे भैरवं रूपं विष्णो भूतपतेति वै
AI Translation: You are the sacrifice of all sacrifices, the austerity of all austerities, And the god of all gods. Thus has the Blessed One Bhrigu declared of you. In the Puranas, the Lord of Beings Vishnu is said to have the form of Bhairava.
वासुदेवो वसूनां त्वं शक्रं स्थापयिता तथा देवदेवोऽसि देवानामिति द्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Dvaipayana spoke of you that you are the Vasudeva among the Vasu, the consolidator of the sway of Shakra (Indra) and the God of gods and of all created beings.
पूर्वे प्रजानिसर्गेषु दक्षमाहुः प्रजापतिम् स्रष्टारं सर्वभूतानामङ्गिरास्त्वां ततोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: In the days of yore, on the occasion of the creation of creatures, you have been called Daksha, the Lord of creation. Angiras has spoken of you as the creator of all corporeal beings.
अव्यक्तं ते शरीरोत्थं व्यक्तं ते मनसि स्थितम् देवा वाक्संभवाश्चेति देवलस्त्वसितोऽब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Devala has sung of you that the Unmanifest All is in your form and the Manifest is in your mind, and that the celestial have all sprung from your speech (breath).
शिरसा ते दिवं व्याप्तं बाहुभ्यां पृथिवी धृता जठरं ते त्रयो लोकाः पुरुषोऽसि सनातनः
M. N. Dutt: The heavens are pervaded with your head; you does sustain the Earth with your two arms the triune world is inside your abdomen you are the Eternal Male being.
एवं त्वामभिजानन्ति तपसा भाविता नराः आत्मदर्शनतृप्तानामृषीणां चापि सत्तमः
M. N. Dutt: Persons purified by the performance of austerities, know your divine self even to be such, To the sages gratified with a knowledge of the self, you are the foremost of all true existent entities.
राजर्षीणामुदाराणामाहवेष्वनिवर्तिनाम् सर्वधर्मप्रधानानां त्वं गतिर्मधुसूदन
M. N. Dutt: O Slayer of Madhu, you are the sole refuge of the royal sages, who are of illustrious nature, who never turn back from the fight and who are devoted to all their duties.
Supplementary Passages:
6.64.9 After 9, K4 B2.3 Dn2 D4.8 T2 ins.: *266 इति नित्यं योगविद्भिर्भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः सनत्कुमारप्रमुखैः स्तूयतेऽभ्यर्च्यते हरिः while T1 G M ins.: *267 एतद्द्वैपायनः प्राह स्तुत्वा वै पुरुषोत्तमम्
एष ते विस्तरस्तात संक्षेपश्च प्रकीर्तितः केशवस्य यथातत्त्वं सुप्रीतो भव केशवे
M. N. Dutt: Thus, O Sire, has been described to you, in detail and in brief, the real nature of Keshava. Now turn you heart in love to Keshava.
Supplementary Passages:
6.64.10 After 10, D1 reads 13cd. K5 D2 ins. after 10: *268 पुराणपुरुषस्येह यदर्थं नृषु संभवः
संजय उवाच पुण्यं श्रुत्वैतदाख्यानं महाराज सुतस्तव केशवं बहु मेने स पाण्डवांश्च महारथान्
M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Your son, O mighty monarch, listening to this sacred story, began to regard highly Keshava and those mighty car-warriors, the sons Pandu.
तमब्रवीन्महाराज भीष्मः शांतनवः पुनः माहात्म्यं ते श्रुतं राजन्केशवस्य महात्मनः
AI Translation: Then, O great king, Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, spoke again: "O king, you have heard the greatness of the great-souled Keshava,
Supplementary Passages:
6.64.12 After 12, D1 ins.: *269 अर्जुनस्य माहात्म्यं हि कथितं तत्त्वतो मया न जेष्यामि महायुद्धे विचरन्तं नरं क्वचित् नारायणं च संग्रामे अवध्यौ तौ यतः स्मृतौ धर्मराजश्च भीमश्च माद्रीपुत्रश्च पांडवौ एतेऽप्यवध्याः कथिताः पुराणे परमर्षिणा
नरस्य च यथातत्त्वं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि यदर्थं नृषु संभूतौ नरनारायणावुभौ
AI Translation: As you have asked me about the truth of Narayana, For what purpose the two, Narayana and Narayana, were born among men,
अवध्यौ च यथा वीरौ संयुगेष्वपराजितौ यथा च पाण्डवा राजन्नगम्या युधि कस्यचित्
M. N. Dutt: You have also learnt why those two heroes are invincible and why they have not been ever vanquished in battle; as also why the sons of Pandu, O king, are unslayable in battle by anybody.
प्रीतिमान्हि दृढं कृष्णः पाण्डवेषु यशस्विषु तस्माद्ब्रवीमि राजेन्द्र शमो भवतु पाण्डवैः
M. N. Dutt: Towards the Pandavas endued with fame, Krishna bears an unshaken affection. Therefore it is, O foremost of sovereigns, that I advice that peace be concluded with the Pandavas.
पृथिवीं भुङ्क्ष्व सहितो भ्रातृभिर्बलिभिर्वशी नरनारायणौ देवाववज्ञाय नशिष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Controlling your passions do you rule this earth with your powerful brothers around you. You shall surely reap destruction if you disregard the divine Nara and Narayana”.
Supplementary Passages:
6.64.16 After 16, D1 ins.: *270 न चेत्कर्तासि वचनं संदिग्धं न तरिष्यसि
एवमुक्त्वा तव पिता तूष्णीमासीद्विशां पते व्यसर्जयच्च राजानं शयनं च विवेश ह
M. N. Dutt: Having spoken thus, O ruler of men, your father became silent; and dismissing the king, he entered his own tent.
राजापि शिबिरं प्रायात्प्रणिपत्य महात्मने शिश्ये च शयने शुभ्रे तां रात्रिं भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: The king also retired to his own tent having bowed down to that one of illustrious soul. Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, he slept away that night on a (milk) white bed.