भीष्म उवाच नैषा चेदिपतेर्बुद्धिर्यया त्वाऽऽह्वयतेऽच्युतम्। नूनमेष जगद्धर्तुः कृष्णस्यैव विनिश्चयः॥
Bhishma said The desire, that cause the Chedi king to call you, whose strength deterioration to fight, is hardly is his own wish. knows no This is surely the purpose of Krishna himself, who is the lord of the universe.
को हि मां भीमसेनाद्य क्षितावर्हति पार्थिवः। क्षेप्तुं कालपरीतात्मा यथैष कुलपांसनः॥
O Bhimasena, what king was there on earth who could abuse me as this wretch of his race, who has been already taken for his own by Death, has done today.
एष ह्यस्य महाबाहुस्तेजोऽशश्च हरेधुंवम्। तमेव पुनरादातुमिच्छत्युत तथा विभुः॥
This mighty armed (hero) is certainly a portion of Hari's (Krishna) energy. The lord (Krishna) wishes to take back to himself his that energy.
येनेष कुरुशार्दूल शार्दूल इव चेदिराट्। गर्जत्यतीव दुर्बुद्धिः सर्वानस्मानचिन्तयन्।॥
O best of the Kuru race, for this reason (only) this wicked-minded and tiger like Chedi king roars in this way without caring little for any of us.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो न ममृषे चैद्यस्तद् भीष्मवचनं तदा। उवाच चैनं संक्रुद्धः पुनर्भीष्ममथोत्तरम्॥
Vaishampayana said Having heard these words of Bhishma, the Chedi king could not brook them. He thus replied to Bhishma in great wrath.
शिशुपाल उवाच द्विषतां नो भीष्मैष प्रभावः केशवस्य यः। यस्य संस्तववक्ता त्वं वन्दिवत् सततोत्थितः॥
Shishupala said O Bhishma, when always rising from your seat you are praising his like a (professional) chaunter, let our enemies possess that prowess which is possessed by this Keshava (Krishna).
संस्तवे च मनो भीष्मे परेषां रमते यदि। तदा संस्तौषि राज्ञस्त्वमिमं हित्वा जनार्दनम्॥
O Bhishma, if your mind takes pleasure in praising others, then praise these kings (present) here, and leave of Janarddana (Krishna).
दरदं स्तुहि बाह्रीकमिमं पार्थिवसत्तमम्। जायमानेन येनेयमभवद् दारिता मही॥
Praise this best of kings Danda, the monarch of Valhika, who, as soon as he was born, rent this earth.
वङ्गाङ्गविषयाध्यक्षं सहस्राक्षसमं बले। स्तुहि कर्णमिमं भीष्म महाचापविकर्षणम्॥
O Bhishma, praise this Karna, the king of Anga and Banga, who is like Indra in strength, who draws the great bow.
यस्येमे कुण्डले दिव्ये सहजे देवनिर्मिते। कवचं च महाबाहो बालार्कसदृशप्रभम्॥
Who is adorned with the celestials earrings of heavenly make and with the armour possessing the splendour of the rising sun, with (both of) which he was born.
वासवप्रतिमो येन जरासंधोऽतिदुर्जयः। विजितो बाहुयुद्धेन देहभेदं च लम्भितः॥
And who vanquished and mangled in a wrestling match the greatly invincible Jarasandha equal to Vasava (Indra).
द्रोणं द्रौणिं च साधु त्वं पितापुत्रौ महारथौ। स्तुहि स्तुत्यावुभौ भीष्म सततं द्विजसत्तमौ॥
O Bhishma, praise always Drona and his son (Ashvathama),who are, both father and son, worthy of praise, who are great carwarriors, and who are best of Brahmanas.
ययोरन्यतरो भीष्म संक्रुद्धः सचराचराम्। इमां वसुमती कुर्यान्निःशेषामिति मे मतिः॥
O Bhishma, it is my opinion that if they are enraged, either of the two can annihilate this earth with all its mobile and immobile creatures.
द्रोणस्य हि समं युद्धे न पश्यामि नराधिपम्। नाश्वत्थाम्न: समं भीष्म न च तौ स्तोतुमिच्छसि।।१४।
O Bhishma, I do not see any king who is equal to Drona or Ashvathama in battle. Why do you not desire to praise them?
पृथिव्यां सागरान्तायां यो वै प्रतिसमो भवेत्। दुर्योधनं त्वं राजेन्द्रमतिक्रम्य महाभुजम्॥
Passing over Duryodhana who is the mighty-armed king of kings, and who is unrivalled on earth girt with the seas.
जयद्रथं च राजानं कृतास्त्रं दृढविक्रमम्। दुमं किम्पुरुषाचार्यं लोके प्रथितविक्रमम्। अतिक्रम्य महावीर्यं किं प्रशंससि केशवम्॥
Also king Jayadratha, who is accomplished in weapons and who is of great prowess; and also Druma, the preceptor of the Kimpurushas, who is renowned on earth for his prowess.
वृद्धं च भारताचार्यं तथा शारद्वतं कृपम्। आत्क्रम्य महावीर्यं किं प्रशंससि केशवम्॥
And also old Kripa, the son of Sharadvata, who is the preceptor of the Bharata race, passing over these greatly powerful men, why do you praise Keshava (Krishna)?
धनुर्धराणां प्रवरं रुक्मिणं पुरुषोत्तमम्। आत्क्रम्य महावीर्यं किं प्रशंससि केशवम्॥
Passing over that foremost of bowmen, that excellent man,, the greatly powerful Rukmin, why do you praise Keshava?
भीष्मकं च महावीर्यं दन्तवनं च भूमिपम्। भगदत्तं यूपकेतुं जयत्सेनं च मागधम्॥
Passing over the greatly energetic Bhishmaka, and the king Dantavakra, and also Bhagadatta celebrated for his many sacrificial stakes, the king of Magadha Jayacsena.
विराटदुपदौ चोभौ शकुनि च बृहद्बलम्। विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ पाण्ड्यं श्वेतमथोत्तरम्॥
And also Drupada and Virata, Shakuni and Brihadbala, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, Pandya, Shveta, Uttama.
शङ्ख च सुमहाभागं वृषसेनं च मानिनम्। एकलव्यं च विक्रान्तं कालिङ्गं च महारथम्॥
The greatly prosperous Shankha, the proud Vrishasena, the powerful Ekalavya, the great car-warrior the king of Kalinga, passing over all these powerful men, why do you praise Keshava?
अतिक्रम्य महावीर्यं किं प्रशंससि केशवम्। शल्यादीनपि कस्मात् त्वं न स्तौषि वसुधाधिपान्। स्तवाय यदि ते बुद्धिवर्तते भीष्म सर्वदा॥
O Bhishma, if your mind is always eager to praise others, why do you not praise Shalya and other rulers of the earth?
क हि शक्यं मया कर्तुं यद् वृद्धानां त्वया नृप। पुरा कथयतां नूनं न श्रुतं धर्मवादिनाम्॥
O king, what am I capable of doing (giving you good advice) when you have never before heard any thing from the virtuous men who are learned in the precepts of virtue?
आत्मनिन्दाऽऽत्मपूजा च परनिन्दा परस्तवः। अनाचरितमार्याणां वृत्तमेतच्चतुर्विधम्॥
O Bhishma, have you not heard that reproach and glorification of self and reproach and glorification of others are not the practices of those who are respectable?
यदस्त्वयमिमं शश्वन्मोहात् संस्तौषि भक्तितः। कंशवं तच्च ते भीष्म न कश्चिदनुमन्यते॥
O Bhishma, there is none who approves your conduct in thus continually praising this Keshava, who is unworthy of any praise; you (surely) do it from ignorance alone.
कथं भोजस्य पुरुषे वर्गपाले दुरात्मनि। समावेशयसे सर्वं जगत् केवलकाम्यया॥
How can you from your desire alone establish the whole universe in this wicked minded slave and cow-heard of Vraja.
अथ चैषा न ते बुद्धिः प्रकृतिं याति भारत। मयैव कथितं पूर्वं भूलिङ्गशकुनिर्यथा।॥
O descendant of Bharata, perhaps your inclination is not conformable to your true nature, like that of the bird Bhulinga, the story of which has been already told by me.
भूलिङ्गशकुनि म पार्श्वे हिमवतः परे। भीष्म तस्या सदा वाचः श्रूयन्तेऽर्थविगर्हिताः॥
O Bhishma, there was a bird, called Bhulinga living on the other side of the Himalayas. His words were always without any meaning.
मा साहसमितीदं सा सततं वाशते किल। साहसं चात्मनातीव चरन्ती नावगुध्यते॥
"Never act rashly” was what he always said, but he never knew that he himself always acted rashly.
सा हि मांसार्गलं भीष्म मुखात् सिंहस्य खादतः। दन्तान्तरविलग्नं यत् तदादत्तेऽल्पचेतना॥
O Bhishma, that foolish bird used to pick from the lion's mouth the pieces of flesh sticking between its teeth when the lion was engaged in eating.
इच्छतः सा हि सिंहस्य भीष्म जीवत्यसंशयम्। तद्वत् त्वमप्यधर्मिष्ठ सदा वाचः प्रभाषसे॥
O Bhishma, that bird surely lived at the pleasure of the lion. O sinful wretch, you always speak like that bird.
इच्छतां भूमिपालानां भीष्म जीवस्य संशयम्। लोकविद्विष्टकर्मा हि नान्योऽस्ति भवता समः॥
O Bhishma, surely you live at the pleasure of these kings. There is none else like you who is engaged in doing things contrary to the opinions of all.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततश्चेदिपते: श्रुत्वा भीष्मः स कटुकं वचः। उवाचेदं वचो राजश्चेदिराजस्य शृण्वतः॥
Vaishampayana said O king, having heard these rude and harsh words of the Chedi king, Bhishma spoke thus in the hearing of the king of Chedi.
इच्छतां किल नामाहं जीवाम्येषां महीक्षितान्। सोऽहं न गणयाम्येतांस्तृणेनापि नराधिपान्॥
Bhishma said Truly am I alive at the pleasure of these rulers of earth. But I do not consider these kings as equal to even straws.
एवमुक्ते तु भीष्मेण ततः संचक्रुशुर्नृपाः। केचिज्जहषिरे तत्र केचिद् भीष्मं जगहिरे॥
Vaishampayana said Having been thus addressed by Bhishma, the kings became full of anger. Some amongst them stood erect and some began to reproach Bhishma.
केचिदूचुर्महेष्वासाः श्रुत्वा भीष्मस्य तद् वचः। पापोऽवलिप्तो वृद्धश्च नायं भीष्मोऽर्हति क्षमाम्॥
Having heard these words of Bhishma, some of these great bowmen said, “This sinful wretch, Bhishma, though old, is exceedingly boastful. He deserves no pardon.
हन्यतां दुर्मतिर्भीष्मः पशुवत् साध्वयं नृपाः। सर्वैः समेत्य संरब्धैर्दह्यता वा कटाग्निना॥
Therefore, O kings, let this wicked minded Bhishma be killed like an animal, or let us master all together, and let him be burnt in a fire made of straw".
इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा ततः कुरुपितामहः। उवाच मतिमान् भीष्मस्तानेव वसुधाधिपान्॥
Having heard their these words, the grandsire of the Kurus, the intélligent Bhishma, then thus spoke to the kings.
उक्तस्योक्तस्य नेहान्तमहं समुपलक्षये। यत् तु वक्ष्यामि तत् सर्वं शृणुध्वं वसुधाधिपाः॥
Bhishma said O rulers of earth, I do not see the ends of our speeches, for words may be answered with words. Therefore, listen to what I say.
पशुवद् घातनं वा मे दहनं वा कटाग्निना। क्रियतां मूर्ध्नि वो न्यस्तं मयेदं सकलं पदम्॥
Whether I may be killed by you like an animal or be burnt in a fire made of straw, say, I place my foot on the head of all.
एष तिष्ठति गाविन्दः पूजितोऽस्माभिरच्युतः। यस्य वस्त्वरते बुद्धिर्मरणाय स माधवम्॥ कृष्णमाह्वयतामद्य युद्धे चक्रगदाधरम्। यादवस्यैव देवस्य देहं विशतु पातितः॥
Here is Govinda (Krishna) who knows no deterioration. Him have we worshipped. Let him, who is willing to meet a speedy death call today to battle Madhava, Krishna, the wielder of discus and club, falling (in the battle), let him enter and mix with the body of this Deity.