भीष्म उवाच ततो हलहलाशब्दो दिवि राजन् महानभूत्। प्रस्वापं भीष्म मा स्राक्षीरिति कौरवनन्दन॥
Bhishma said Then when I had thus made up my mind there arose a mighty din of tumultuous voices in the sky, O king, saying, “O Bhishma, O son of Kuru's race do not let go that weapon Prasvapa."
अयुञ्जमेव चैवाहं तदस्त्रं भृगुनन्दने। प्रस्वापं मां प्रयुञ्जानं नारदो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
But for all that I still aimed that weapon at the descendant of Bhrigu. As I was aiming it, Narada addressed me, saying
एते वियति कौरव्य दिवि देवगणाः स्थिताः। ते त्वां निवारयन्त्यद्य प्रस्वापं मा प्रयोजयः॥
These gods are stationed yonder in the sky, O son of Kuru's race. They are forbidding you today, do not aim the weapon Prasvapa.
रामस्तपस्वी ब्रह्मण्यो ब्राह्मणश्च गुस्थं ते। तस्यावमानं कौरव्य मा स्म कार्षीः कथंचन॥
Rama is an ascetic, possessed of the attributes of Brahma; he is a Brahmana, and moreover your preceptor. Do not son of Kuru, inflict humiliation on him, by any means,
ततोऽपश्यं दिविष्ठान् वै तानष्टौ ब्रह्मवादिनः। ते मां स्मयन्तो राजेन्द्र शनकैरिदमब्रुवन्॥
Then I saw those eight speakers of the Brahma, stationed in the sky. O great king, smilingly they spoke these words to me slowly.
यथाऽऽह भरतश्रेष्ठ नारदस्तत् तथा कुरु। एतद्धि परमं श्रेयो लोकानां भरतर्षभ॥
O best among Bharata's race, do as Narada has spoken to you, for this, O best among the Bharatas, is highly beneficial to all creatures.
ततश्च प्रतिसंहृत्य तदस्त्रं स्वापनं महत्। ब्रह्मास्त्रं दीपयांचक्रे तस्मिन् युधि यथाविधि॥
Thereupon, withdrawing that mighty weapon Prasvapa, I made the Brahma weapon to blaze forth according to the ordinance.
ततो रामो हृषितो राजसिंह दृष्ट्वा तदस्त्रं विनिवर्तितं वै।। रित्येव वाक्यं सहसा व्यमुञ्चत्॥ ततोऽपश्यत् पितरं जामदग्न्यः पितुस्तथा पितरं चास्य मान्यम्। रूचुश्चैनं सान्त्वपूर्व तदानीम्॥
Thereupon Rama, beholding that the Prasvapa weapon was withdrawn, was greatly excited and suddenly gave out these words, Fool that I am, I am vanquished, O Bhishma. Then the son of Jamadagni saw his father, and the venerable father of his father, who stood there surrounding him, and consoling him,
पितर ऊचुः मा स्मैवं साहसं तात पुनः कार्षीः कथंचना भीष्मेण संयुगं गन्तुं क्षत्रियेण विशेषतः॥
The father said Do not display such rashness again 0 son, by any means, especially of going to battle with Bhishma, who is a Kshatriya.
क्षत्रियस्य तु धर्मोऽयं यद् युद्धं भृगुनन्दन। स्वाध्यायो व्रतचर्याऽथ ब्राह्मणानां परं धनम्॥
This is the duty of a Kshatriya, viz., to fight; O descendant of Bhrigu, study and the observance of religious austerities are the best wealth of the Brahmanas.
इदं निमित्ते कस्मिंश्चिदस्माभिः प्रागुदाहृतम्। शस्त्रधारणमत्युगं तच्चाकार्यं कृतं त्वया॥
This (taking up of arms) was ordered by us to you for some special reasons before this. Then you had taken up your arms most fiercely and performed that unenviable deed (the extermination of the whole Kshatriya race).
वत्स पर्याप्तमेतावद् भीष्मेण सह संयुगे। विमर्दस्ते महाबाहो व्यपयाहि रणादितः॥
What time you have fought with Bhishma has been enough, O son. 0 you of mighty arms, desist from this combat, leave the battlefield.
पर्याप्तमेतद् भद्रं ते तव कार्मुकधारणम्। विसर्जयैतद् दुर्धर्ष तपस्तप्यस्व भार्गव॥
Blessing be to you, let this be enough of taking up the bow. But desist from this now, O invincible Practice austerities, 0 Bhargava.
एष भीष्मः शान्तनवो देवैः सर्वैर्निवारितः। निवर्तस्व रणादस्मादिति चैव प्रसादितः॥
Here is Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, who has been made to desist from battle by all the gods, who are endeavoring to pacify him by saying "Desist from this battle."
रामेण सह मा योत्सीगुरुणेति पुनः पुनः। न हि रामो रणे जेतुं त्वया न्याय्यः कुरूद्वह॥
"Do not fight with Rama, your preceptor", again and again (saying this). It is not becoming for you, O perpetuator of the race of Kuru, to vanquish Rama in battle. one.
मानं कुरुष्व गाड्नेय ब्राह्मणस्य रणाजिरे। वयं तु गुरवस्तुभ्यं तस्मात् त्वां वारयामहे॥
O son of Ganga, do honour to this Brahmana on the field of battle. We are your superiors and therefore forbid you.
भीष्मो वसूनामन्यतमो दिष्ट्या जीवसि पुत्रका गाङ्गेयः शान्तनोः पुत्रो वसुरेष महायशाः॥
Bhishma is one of the foremost of the Vasus. It is only by good luck that you are still living. This Shantanu's son by Ganga is a celebrated Vasu,
कथं शक्यस्त्वया जेतुं निवर्तस्वेह भार्गव। अर्जुनः पाण्डवश्रेष्ठः पुरंदरसुतो बली॥
How can he be vanquished by you? Desist at this point, O descendant of Bhrigu. That best among Pandavas, Arjuna, who is the powerful son of Indra,
नरः प्रजापतिर्वीरः पूर्वदेवः सनातनः। सव्यसाचीति विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु वीर्यवान्। भीष्ममृत्युर्यथाकालं विहितो वै स्वयम्भुवा॥
Who is Nara, who is the lord of all creatures, a hero, who was before this a god, who is without beginning and end, and who, mighty as he is, is known throughout the three worlds as Savyasachin, is ordained by the selfcreate (Brahma) to be the death of Bhishma in the ripeness of time.
भीष्म उवाच एवमुक्तः स पितृभिः पितॄन् रामोऽब्रवीदिदम्। नाहं युधि निवर्तेयमिति मे व्रतमाहितम्॥
Bhishma said Being thus spoken by his ancestors, Rama thus spoken to them, “I will not desist from the combat, this is the vow I have taken upon myself.
न निवर्तितपूर्वश्च कदाचिद् रणमूर्धनि) निवर्त्यतामापगेयः कामं युद्धात् पितामहाः॥
Before this, I had never been made to turn beak (from combat) on the field of battle. O grandsires, make the Ganga's son of desist from the battle, if it so pleases you.
न त्वहं विनिवर्तिष्ये युद्धादस्मात् कथंचन। ततस्ते मुनयो राजनृचीकप्रमुखास्तदा॥
"But as for me, I will never hold back from this combat.” Then those ascetics, O king, with Richeeka at their head,
नारदेनैव सहिताः समागम्येदमब्रुवन्। निवर्तस्व रणात् तात मानयस्व द्विजोत्तमम्॥
And accompanied by Narada, came up (to me) and thus spoke "Desist from the battle, O son. Honour that foremost of Brahmanas.
इत्यवोचमहं तांश्च क्षत्रधर्मव्यपेक्षया। मम व्रतमिदं लोके नाहं युद्धात् कदाचन॥ विमुखो विनिवर्तेयं पृष्ठतोऽभ्याहतः शरैः। नाहं लोभान्न कार्पण्यान्न भयानार्थकारणात्॥
“No” I said to them “according to the duty of a Kshatriya, this is my vow, that never from battle, I will turn back or suffer my back to be wondered by arrows. Not from covering any objects of desire, nor from fear, nor for the sake of wealth,
त्यजेयं शाश्वतं धर्ममिति मे निश्चिता पतिः। सर्वे नारदप्रमुखा नृप।॥
Shall i abandon my eternal duty, this is my fixed resolution.” Then all those ascetics, O king, with Narada at their head,
भागीरथी च मे माता रणमध्यं प्रपेदिरे। तथैवात्तशरो धन्वी तथैव दृढनिश्चयः। स्थिरोऽहमाहवे योद्ध ततस्ते राममब्रुवन्॥
And Bhagirathi, my mother, occupied the field of battle (between myself and Rama). I however, stood with my bow and arrows as before, and with fixed resolution as before, on the battle-field, to go on fighting. Then they said to Rama.
समरे भृगुनन्दनम्। नावनीतं हि हृदयं विप्राणां शाम्य भार्गव॥
Once more, all them together, going up to the descendant of Bhrigu, on the battle-field said, “The hearts of the Brahmanas are as soft as butter, O son of Bhrigu; be pacified.
राम राम निवर्तस्व युद्धादस्माद् द्विजोत्तम। अवध्यो वै त्वया भीष्यस्त्वं च भीष्मस्य भार्गव॥ ततस्ते मुनयः समेत्य सहिता भूयः
O Rama, O Rama, O best of Brahmanas, desist from this battle. Bhishma is incapable of being killed by you, as you by Bhishma, O son of Bhrigu's race.”
एवं ब्रुवन्तस्ते सर्वे प्रतिरुथ्य रणाजिरम्। न्यासयांचक्रिरे शस्त्रं पितरो भृगुनन्दनम्॥
Addressing him with these words, and obstructing the battle-field, his forefathers made the descendant of Bhrigu lay aside his weapons.
ततोऽहं पुनरेवायथ तानष्टौ ब्रह्मवादिनः। अद्राक्षं दीप्यमानान् वै ग्रहानष्टाविवोदितान्॥
And then I again saw those eight revealers of Brahmana, blazing like eight constellations risen (in the sky).
ते मां सप्रणयं वाक्यमब्रुवन् समरे स्थितम्। प्रैहि रामं महाबाहो गुरुं लोकहितं कुरु॥
They then spoke these words with affection to me, who stood on the field of combat, “O you of mighty arms, go up to Rama, your preceptor. Do what is good to all the world."
दृष्ट्वा निवर्तितं रामं सुहृद्वाक्येन तेन वै। लोकानां च हितं कुर्वन्नहमप्याददे वचः॥
Beholding that Rama desisted (from battle) at the words of his well-wishers, I also, for the good of the worlds, accepted (their) words.
ततोऽहं राममासाद्य ववन्दे भृशविक्षतः। रामश्चाभ्युत्स्मयन् प्रेम्णा मामुवाच महातपाः॥
Thereupon severely wondered as I was, I went up to Rama, and bowed down to him. Rama also that great ascetic, smiling with love, spoke to me.
त्वत्समो नास्ति लोकेऽस्मिन् क्षत्रियः पृथिवीचरः। गम्यतां भीष्म युद्धेऽस्मिंस्तोषितोऽहं भृशं त्वया॥
"There is no Kshatriya among all men equal to you on the face of the earth. Go you, O Bhishma, for in this combat I have been highly pleased with you.
मम चैव समक्षं तां कन्यामाहूय भार्गवः। उक्तवान् दीनया वाचा मध्य तेषां महात्मनाम्॥
Then in my presence, summoning that maiden (the daughter of Kashi), the descendant of Bhrigu, spoke (to her) in these modest words, before all the high-souled ones.