वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो रामस्य तत् कर्म श्रुत्वा राजा युधिष्ठिरः। विस्मयं परमं गत्वा प्रत्युवाच जनार्दनम्॥ अहो रामस्य वार्ष्णेय शक्रस्येव महात्मनः। विक्रमो वसुधा येन क्रोधान्निःक्षत्रिया कृता॥
Vaishampayana said Hearing of those wonderful deeds of Rama, king Yudhishthira became stricken with wonder and said to Janardana,-'O you of Vrishni's race, the prowess of the great Rama, who in anger had freed the Earth of Kshatriyas was like that of Shakra himself.
गोभिः समुद्रेण तथा गोलाकुलर्भवानरैः। गुप्ता रामभयोद्विग्नाः क्षत्रियाणां कुलोद्वहाः॥
The sons of Kshatriyas, stricken with the fear of Rama, were concealed (and brought up) by kine, Ocean, pards, bears, and monkeys.
अहो धन्यो नृलोकोऽयं सभाग्याश्च नरा भुवि। यत्र कर्मेदृशं धर्म्यं द्विजेन कृतमित्युत॥
Indeed, Praiseworthy is this world of men and fortunate are they that live in it where such a wonderful but righteous deed was performed by a Brahinana.
तथावृत्तौ कथां तात तावच्युतयुधिष्ठिरौ। जग्मतुर्यत्र गाङ्गेयः शरतल्पगतः प्रभुः॥
After this discourse, those two illustrious heroes, viz., Krishna of undecaying glory and Yudhishthira proceeded where the powerful son of Ganga lay on his bed of arrows.
ततस्ते ददृशुर्भीष्मं शरप्रस्तरशायिनम्। स्वरश्मिजालसंवीतं सायंसूर्यसमप्रभम्॥
They then saw Bhishma lying on his arrowy bed and shining like the evening Sun covered with his own rays.
उपास्यमानं मुनिभिर्देवैरिव शतक्रतुम्। देशे परमधर्मिष्ठे नदीमोघवतीमनु॥७
The Kuru hero was encircled by many ascetics like Indra of a hundred sacrifices by the denizens of heaven. The spot on which he lay was highly sacred, for it was situate on the banks of the river Oghavati.
दूरादेव तमालोक्य कृष्णो राजा च धर्मजः। चत्वारः पाण्डवाश्चैव ते च शारद्वतादयः॥ अवस्कन्द्याथ वाहेभ्यः संयम्य प्रचलं मनः। एकीकृत्येन्द्रियग्राममुपतस्थुर्महामुनीनन॥
Seeing him from a distance, Krishna and Dharma's royal son, the four Pandavas, and the others headed by Shwaradwat, got down from their cars and restraining their minds and concentrating all their senses, approached the great Rishis.
अभिवाद्य तु गोविन्दः सात्यकिस्ते च पार्थिवाः। व्यासादीनृषिमुख्यांश्च गाङ्गेयमुपतस्थिरे॥
Saluting those foremost of Rishis headed by Vyasa, Govinda and Satyaki and the others came to the son of Ganga.
ततो वृद्धं तथा दृष्ट्वा गाङ्गेयं यदुकौरवाः। परिवार्य ततः सर्वे निषेदुः पुरुषर्षभाः॥
Seeing Ganga's son of great ascetic merit, the Yadu and Kuru princes, took their seats, around him.
ततो निशाम्य गाङ्गेय शाम्यमानमिवानलम्। किंचिद् दीनमना भीष्ममिति होवाच केशवः॥
Seeing Bhishma resembling a fire about to be extinguished, Keshava with a rather depressed heart addressed him as follows.
केशव उवाच कच्चिज्ज्ञानानि सर्वाणि प्रसन्नानि यथा पुरा। कच्चिन्न व्याकुला चैव बुद्धिस्ते वदतां वर॥
Keshava said Is your understanding now as clear as before? I hope your understanding, O foremost of orators, is not clouded?
शराभिघातदुःखात् ते कच्चिद् गात्रं न दूयते। मानसादपि दुःखाद्धि शारीरं बलवत्तरम्॥
I hope your limbs are not afflicted by the pain originating from the wounds inflicted by arrows? Mental grief also weakens the body.
वरदानात् पितुः कामं छन्दमृत्युरसि प्रभो। शान्तनोधर्मनित्यस्य न त्वेतन्मम कारणम्॥
By virtue of the boon granted to you by your father, the righteous Shantanu, your death, O powerful hero, depends on your own will. I myself have not that merit for which you have obtained this boons.
सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि तु देहे वै शल्यो जनयते रुजम्। किं पुनः शरसंघातैश्चित्तस्य तव पार्थिव॥
Even the smallest Pin when put into the body produces pain. What need then be said, O king, hundreds of arrows that have pierced you?
काम नैतत् तवाख्येयं प्राणिनां प्रभवाप्ययौ। उपदेष्टुं भवाशक्तो देवानामपि भारत॥
Surely, pain cannot be said to assail you, You can, O Bharata, instruct the very celestials regarding the origin and dissolution of living creatures.
यच्च भूतं भविष्यं च भवच्च पुरुषर्षभ। सर्वं तज्ज्ञानवृद्धस्य तव भीष्म प्रतिष्ठितम्॥
Possessed of great knowledge, you know everything belonging to the Past, the Future and the Present.
संहारश्चैव भूतानां धर्मस्य च फलोदयः। विदितस्ते महाप्राज्ञ त्वं हि धर्ममयो निधिः॥
The dissolution of created beings and the mode of righteousness, are well known to you, O you of great wisdom, for you are an ocean of virtue and duty.
त्वां हि राज्ये स्थितं स्फीते समग्राङ्गमरोगिणम्। स्त्रीसहस्रैः परिवृतं पश्यामीवोर्ध्वरेतसम्॥
While living in the climax of prosperity. I saw you forego female intercourse though surrounded by female companions.
ऋते शान्तनवाद् भीष्मात् त्रिषु लोकेषु पार्थिव। सत्यधर्मान्महावीर्याच्छूराद् धर्मेकतत्परात्॥ मृत्युमावार्य तपसा शरसंस्तरशायिनः। निसर्गप्रभवं किंचिन्न च तातानुशुश्रुम॥
Except Shantanu's highly powerful son Bhishma firmly devoted to righteousness, possessed of heroism and having virtue for the only object of life, we have never heard of any other person in the three worlds who could, by his power of asceticism, though lying on a bed of arrows and on the point of death, prevent death (from attacking him).
सत्ये तपसि दाने च यज्ञाधिकरणे तथा। धनुर्वेदे च वेदे च नीत्यां चैवानुरक्षणे॥ अनृशंस शुचिं दान्तं सर्वभूतहिते रतम्। महारथं त्वत्सदृशं न कंचिदनुशुश्रुम॥
We have never heard of anyone else who was so devoted to truth, to penances, to gifts, to the celebration of sacrifices, to the sciences of arms, to the Vedas, and to the protection of persons begging for the same, and who abstained from injuring any creature, so pure in conduct, so self-controlled, and so bent upon doing good to all creatures, and who was also so great a car-warrior as you.
त्वं हि देवान् सगन्धर्वानसुरान् यक्षराक्षसान्। शक्तस्त्वेकरथेनैव विजेतुं नात्र संशयः॥
Forsooth, you are competent to defeat, on a single car, the gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, Yakshas, and Rakshasas.
स त्वं भीष्म महाबाहो वसूनां वासवोपमः। नित्यं विप्रैः समाख्यातो नवमोऽनवमो गुणैः॥
O mighty-armed Bhishma, you are described by the Brahinanas as the ninth of the Vasus. By your virtues, however, you have excelled them all and are equal to Vasava himself.
अहं च त्वाभिजानामि यस्त्वं पुरुषसत्तम। त्रिदशेष्वपि विख्यातस्त्वं शक्त्या पुरुषोत्तमः॥
I know, O best of persons, that you are celebrated for your prowess, O foremost of beings, among even the very abstracts.
मनुष्येषु मनुष्येन्द्र न दृष्टो न च मे श्रुतः। भवतो वा गुणैर्युक्तः पृथिव्यां पुरुष: क्वचित्॥
Among men on Earth, O foremost of men, we have never seen nor heard of any one endued with such accomplishments.
त्वं हि सर्वगुणै राजन् देवानप्यतिरिच्यसे। तपसा हि भवाशक्तः स्रष्टुं लोकांश्चराचरान्॥ किं पुनश्चात्मनो लोकानुत्तमानुत्तमैर्गुणैः।
O Kshatriya chief, you excell the gods themselves in these accomplishments. By your ascetic power you can create a universe of mobile and immobile creatures. What is the use of saying that you have acquired many blessed regions by means of your foremost of virtues?
तदस्य तप्यमानस्य ज्ञातीनां संक्षयेन वैः॥ ज्येष्ठस्य पाण्डुपुत्रस्य शोकं भीष्म व्यपानुद।
Remove now the sorrow of the eldest son of Pandu who is burning with sorrow on account of the destruction of his kinsinen.
ये हि धर्माः समाख्याताश्चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य भारत॥ चातुराश्रभ्यसंयुक्ताः सर्वे ते विदितास्तव।
All the duties that have been laid down for the four orders about the four modes of life and well known to you.
चातुर्विद्ये च ये प्रोक्ताश्चातुर्होत्रे च भारत॥ योगे सांख्ये च नियता ये च धर्माः सनातनाः। चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य यश्चोक्तो धर्मो न स्म विरुध्यते॥ सेव्यमानः सवैयाख्यो गाङ्गेय विदितस्तव।
Everything again that is in the four branches of learning, in the four Hotras, O Bharata, as also those eternal duties that are laid down in Yoga and Sankhya philosophy, the duties too of the four orders and those duties that are not inconsistent with their practices, all these, along with their interpretations,-O son of Ganga, are known to you.
प्रतिलोमप्रसूतानां वर्णानां चैव यः स्मृतः॥ देशजातिकुलानां न जानीषे धर्मलक्षणम्। वेदोक्तो यश्च शिष्टोक्तः सदैव विदितस्तव॥
The duties that have been laid down for the issues of intermarriages and those laid down for particular countries and tribes and families, and those declared by the Vedas and the wise men, are all well known to you.
इतिहासपुराणार्थाः कार्येन विदितास्तवा धर्मशास्त्रं च सकलं नित्यं मनसि ते स्थितम्॥
You are the master-topics of histories and the Puranas. All the scriptures treating of duty and practice are centered in your memory.
ये च केचन लोकेऽस्मिन्नर्थाः संशयकारकाः। तेषां छेत्ता नास्ति लोके त्वदन्यः पुरुषर्षभ।॥
Except you, O foremost of men, there is no other person that can dispell the doubts that may arise regarding the subjects of knowledge studied in the world.
स पाण्डवेयस्य मनः समुत्थितं नरेन्द्र शोकं व्यपकर्ष मेधया। भवद्विधा ह्युत्तमबुद्धिविस्तरा विमुह्यमानस्य नरस्य शान्तये॥
With the help of your intelligence, do you, O prince of men, drive the sorrow felt by the son of Pandu. Persons endued with so great and such varied knowledge live only for solacing those whose minds have been stupefied.