संजय उवाच त्वयुक्तोऽयमनुप्रश्नो महाराज यथाऽर्हसि। न तु दुर्योधने दोषमिममासंक्तुमर्हसि॥
Sanjaya said O great king, you are in every way a deserving person. This question is worthy of you. You should not however lay biame of Duryodhana.
य आत्मनो दुष्चरितादशुभं प्राप्नुयानरः। एनसा तेन नान्यं स उपाशङ्कितुमर्हति॥
The man who suffers evil for his own misconduct should not attribute it to others.
महाराज मनुष्येषु निन्द्यं यः सर्वमाचरेत्। स वध्यः सर्वलोकस्य निन्दितानि समाचरन्।॥
O king of kings, the man who does all sorts of harm to other men deserves to be killed by all men for his these censurable deeds.
निकारो निकृतिप्रज्ञैः पाण्डवैस्त्वत्प्रतीक्षया। अनुभूतः सहामात्यैः क्षान्तश्च सुचिरं वने॥
The Pandavas are thoroughly unacquainted with the ways of wickedness. For a long time। loO king up to your face, they (silently) suffered the injury and forgave them though exiled in the forest.
हयानां च गजानां च राज्ञां चामिततेजसाम्। प्रत्यक्षं यन्मया दृष्टं दृष्टं योगबलेन च॥ शृणु तत् पृथिवीपाल मा च शोके मनः कृथाः। दिष्टमेतत् पुरा नूनमिदमेव नराधिप॥
O king, O lord of the earth, hear of horses and elephants and immeasurably powerful kings, all that which has been seen by the help of Yoga power. Do not grieve. All this was pre-ordained.
नमस्कृत्वा पितुस्तेऽहं पाराशर्याय धीमते। यस्य प्रसादाद् दिव्यं तत् प्राप्तं ज्ञानमनुत्तमम्॥ दृष्टिश्चातीन्द्रिया राजन् दूराच्छ्रवणमेव च। परचित्तस्य विज्ञानमतीतानागतस्य च॥ व्युत्थितोत्पत्तिविज्ञानमाकाशे च गतिः शुभा। अस्त्रैरसंगो युद्धेषु वरदानान्महात्मनः॥ शृणु मे विस्तरेणेदं विचित्रं परमाद्भुतम्। भरतानामभूद् युद्धं यथा तल्लोमहर्षणम्॥
Bowing down my head to your father (Vyasa) that wise son of Parashara, through whose grace, I have acquired excellent and celestial vision, the power of seeing the hearing from a great distance, and knowing other people's hearts and also the past and the future, the delightful power of going through the sky, also the knowledge of all the persons that violate the ordinance and also the power of not being cut by weapons in battle, I shall narrate to you the romantic and the highly wonderful and hair-stirring battle that was fought amongst the Bharatas, now listen to me.
तेष्वनीकेषु यत्तेषु व्यूढेषु च विधानतः। दुर्योधनो महाराज दुःशासनमथाब्रवीत्॥
When the troops were arrayed according to the rule, when they were all ready for battle. O king, Duryodhana thus spoke to Dushasana.
दुःशासनं रथास्तूर्णं युज्यन्तां भीष्मरक्षिणः। अनीकानि च सर्वाणि शीघ्रं त्वमनुचोदय॥
O Dushasana, let cars be immediately ordered for the protection of Bhishma. Speedily urge all our troops to advance.
अयं स मामभिप्राप्तो वर्षपूगाभिचिन्तितः। पाण्डवानां ससैन्यानां कुरूणां च समागमः॥
What I have been thinking for many years has now come to me; namely the meeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head of their respective armies.
नातः कार्यतमं मन्ये रणे भीष्मस्य रक्षणात्। हन्याद् गुप्तो ह्यसौ पार्थान् सोमकांश्च समुंजयान्॥
I do not think there is any thing more important in this battle than the protection of Bhishma. If properly protected he will kill the Pandavas, the Somakas and the Srinjayas.
अब्रवीच्च विशुद्धात्मा नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम्। श्रूयते स्त्रो ह्यसौ पूर्वं तस्माद् वयॊ रणे मम॥
That pure souled warrior (Bhishma) has said, "I shall not kill Shikhandin. I have heard he was a woman before. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle”.
तस्माद् भीष्मो रक्षितव्यो विशेषेणेति मे मतिः। शिखण्डिनो वधे यत्ताः सर्वे तिष्ठन्तु मामकाः॥
For this, Bhishma should be specially protected. Let all my soldiers take up their respective positions and resolve to kill Shikhandin.
तथा प्राच्याः प्रतीच्याश्च दाक्षिणात्योत्तरापथाः। सर्वथाऽस्त्रेषु कुशलास्ते रक्षन्तु पितामहम्॥
Let all the troops for the east, west, north and south skilled in all weapons protect the grand father (Bhishma).
अरक्ष्यमाणं हि वृको हन्यात् सिहं महाबलम्। मा सिहं जम्बुकेनेव घातयामः शिखण्डिना॥
Even a highly powerful lion may be killed, if left unprotected, by an wolf. Let us not therefore allow (by any means) Bhishma to be killed by Shikhandin as a lion killed by a jackal. two
वामं चक्रं युधामन्युरुत्तमौजाश्च दक्षिणम्। गोप्तारौ फाल्गुनं प्राप्तौ फाल्गुनोऽपि शिखण्डिनः।।१९।
Yudhamanyu protects the left and Uttamaujas protects the right of Phalguna (Arjuna). Thus protected by these Phalguna himself protects Shikhandin.
संरक्ष्यमाणः पार्थेन भीष्मेण च विवर्जितः। यथा न हन्याद् गाङ्गेय दुःशासन तथा कुरु॥
O Dushasana, act in such a way that Shikhandin, who is protected by Arjuna and whom Bhishma will avoid may not (finally) kill the son of Ganga (Bhishma).