वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः कृष्णस्य तद् वाक्यं धर्मार्थसहितं हितम्। श्रुत्वा शान्तनवो भीष्मः प्रत्युवाच कृताञ्जलिः॥
Vaishampayana said, Hearing these words of Krishna pregnant with morality and worldly profit, Shantanu's son Bhishma answered him thus. Bhishma said
लोकनाथ महाबाहो शिव नारायणाच्युत। तव वाक्यमुपश्रुत्य हर्षेणास्मि परिप्लुतः॥
O lord of all the worlds, O mighty-armed one, O Shiva, O Narayana, O you of undecaying glory, hearing your words I have been filled with joy.
किं चाहमभिधास्यामि वाक्यं ते तव संनिधौ। यदा वाचोगतं सर्वं तव वाचि समाहितम्॥
But what words, O master of speech, can I communicate in your presence, when especially all the subjects of speech have been treated in your specch?
यच्च किंचित् क्व चिल्लोके कर्तव्यं क्रियते च यत्। त्वत्तस्तन्निःसृतं देव लोके बुद्धिमतो हि ते॥
Whatever in either world should be done or is done, emanates from your intelligent self, O god.
कथयेद् देवलोकं यो देवराजसमीपतः। धर्मकामार्थमोक्षाणां सोऽर्थं ब्रूयात् तवाग्रतः॥
That person, who can speak on the subject of heaven before the king of the celestials, himself is able to deal with morality and desire and profit and liberation in your presence.
शराभितापाद् व्यथितं मनो मे मधुसूदन। गात्राणि चावसीदन्ति न च बुद्धिः प्रसीदति॥
My mind, O destroyer of Madhu, is greatly agitated by the pain of wounds inflicted by arrows. My limbs are weak, My understanding is not clear.
न च मे प्रतिभा काचिदस्ति किंचित् प्रभाषितुम्। पीड्यमानस्य गोविन्द विषानलसमैः शरैः॥
I am so afflicted, O Govinda, by these arrows resembling poison or fire that I have not the power to speak anything.
बलं मे प्रजहातीव प्राणाः संत्वरयन्ति च। मर्माणि परितप्यन्ति भ्रान्तचित्तस्तथा ह्यहम्॥
My strength is leaving me. My vital airs are about to leave me. The very vitals of my body are being consumed. My understanding is clouded.
दौर्बल्यात् सज्जते वाङ्मे स कथं वक्तुमुत्सहे। साधु मे त्वं प्रसीदस्व दाशार्हकुलवर्धन॥
From weakness my words are becoming indistinct. How then can I dare speak? O lord of Dasharha's race, be pleased with me.
तत् क्षमस्व महाबाहो न बयां किंचिदच्युत। त्वत्संनिधौ च सीदेद्धि वाचस्पतिरपि ब्रुवन्॥
O mighty-armed one, I will not say anything. Pardon me. Even the lord of speech (Brihaspati) will hesitate to speak before you.
न दिशः सम्प्रजानामि नाकाशं न च मेदिनीम्। केवलं तव वीर्येण तिष्ठामि मधुसूदन॥
I cannot any longer decipher the points of the compass, nor distinguish the sky from the earth. Through your energy, O slayer of Madhu, I am only alive.
स्वयमेव भवांस्तस्माद् धर्मराजस्य यद्धितम्। तद् ब्रवीत्वाशु सर्वेषामागमानां त्वमागमः॥
Do you, therefore, yourself speak for the behoof of king Yudhishthira, for you are the ordainer of all the ordinances.
कथं त्वयि स्थिते कृष्णे शाश्वते लोककर्तरि। प्रब्रूयान्मद्विधः कश्चिद् गुरौ शिष्य इव स्थिते॥
How, O Krishna, when you, the eternal creator of the universe, are present, can one like me speak like a disciple before his preceptor?
वासुदेव उवाच उपपन्नमिदं वाक्यं कौरवाणां धुरन्धरे। महावीर्ये महासत्त्वे स्थिरे सर्वार्थदर्शिनि॥
Vasudeva said Your words become you only who are the foremost of Kuru's race, who are endued with great energy, who are of great soul, and who are possessed of great patience and conversant with every subject.
यच्च मामात्थ गाड्नेय बाणघातरूज प्रति। गृहाणात्र वरं भीष्म मत्प्रसादकृतं प्रभो॥
Regarding what you have said about the pain of wounds, receive, O Bhishma, this boon what I grant you, O powerful one, from favour.
न ते ग्लानिन ते मूर्छा न दाहो न च ते रुजा। प्रभविष्यन्ति गाङ्गेय क्षुत्पिपासे न चाप्युत॥
Uneasiness, stupefaction, burning pain, hunger and thirst shall not, O son of Ganga, assail you, O you of undecaying glory.
ज्ञानानि च समग्राणि प्रतिभास्यन्ति तेऽनघ। न च ते क्व चिदासक्तिर्बुद्धेः प्रादुर्भविष्यति॥
Your perception and memory, Osinless one, shall be unclouded. Your understanding shall not disappear.
सत्त्वस्थं च मनो नित्यं तव भीष्म भविष्यति। रजस्तमोभ्यां रहितं घनैर्मुक्त इवोडुराट्॥
Your mind, O Bhishma, freed from the qualities of darkness and ignorance will always be subject to the quality of goodness, like the moon coming out of the clouds.
यद् यच्च धर्मसंयुक्तमर्थयुक्तमथापि च। चिन्तयिष्यसि तत्राग्र्या बुद्धिस्तव भविष्यति॥
Your understanding will penetrate every subject regarding duty, morality, or profit, you will think upon.
इमं च राजशार्दूल भूतग्रामं चतुर्विधम्। चक्षुर्दिव्यं समाश्रित्य द्रक्ष्यस्यमितविक्रम॥
O foremost of kings, acquiring choice vision, you will, O you of incomparable prowess, succeed in seeing the four orders of created things.
संसरन्तं प्रजाजालं संयुक्तो ज्ञानचक्षुषा। भीष्म द्रक्ष्यसि तत्त्वेन जले मीन इवामले॥
Possessing the eye of knowledge, you will, O Bhishma, see, like fishes in a limpid stream, all created things that you will try to recollect.'
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ते व्याससहिताः सर्व ऋग्यजुःसामसहितैर्वचोभिः कृष्णमार्चयन्॥
Vaishampayana said, Then those great Rishis, with Vyasa amongst them, worshipped Krishna with hymns from the Richs, the Yajus, and the Samans.
ततः सर्वार्तवं दिव्य पुष्पवर्ष नभस्तलात्। पपात यत्र वार्ष्णेयः सगाङ्गेय सपाण्डवः॥
A shower of celestial flowers of all seasons fell on that spot where the Vrishni hero with Ganga's son and the son of Pandu were.
वादित्राणि च सर्वाणि जगुश्चाप्सरसां गणाः। न चाहितमनिष्टं च किञ्चित्तत्र प्रदृश्यते॥
All kinds of celestial instruments played in the sky and the Apsaras began to sing. No evil portent appeared there.
एव महर्षयः। भीष्ममामन्त्रयाञ्चक्रू ववौ शिवः सुखो वायुः सर्वगन्धवहः शुचिः। शान्तायां दिशि शान्ताश्च प्रावदन् मृगपक्षिणः॥
An auspicious, pleasant and pure breeze, carrying every kind of fragrance, began to blow. All the points of the horizon became clear and quiet, and all the animals and birds began to move about peacefully.
ताते मुहूर्ताद् भगवान् सहस्रांशुर्दिवाकरः। दहन वैनमिवैकान्ते प्रतीच्या प्रत्यदृश्यत॥
Soon after, like a fire at the outskirt of a great forest, the divine Sun of a thousand rays was seen to descend westwards.
ततो महर्षयः सर्वे समुत्थाय जनार्दनम्। राजानं च युधिष्ठिरम्॥
Then, rising up, the great Rishis saluted Janardana and Bhishma and king Yudhishthira.
ततः प्रणाममकरोत् केशवः सहपाण्डवः। सात्यकिः संजयश्चैव स च शारद्वत: कृपः॥
Upon this, Keshava, the sons of Pandu, Satyaki, Sanjaya, and Sharadwat's son Kripa, bowed reverentially to those sages.
ततस्ते धर्मनिरताः सम्यक् तैरभिपूजिताः। श्वः समेष्याम इत्युक्त्वा यथेष्टं त्वरिता ययुः॥
Always righteous those sages, thus adored by Keshava and others, quickly went to their respective habitations saying-We will return tomorrow.'
तथैवामन्त्र्य गाङ्गेयं केशवः पाण्डवास्तथा। प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य रथानारुरुहुः शुभान्॥
After this, Keshava and the Pandavas, saluting Bhishma and going round him, got upon their beautiful cars.
ततो रथैः काञ्चनचित्रकूबरै महीधराभैः समदैश्च दन्तिभिः। हयैः सुपर्णैरिव चाशुगामिभिः पदातिभिश्चात्तशरासनादिभिः॥
Those heroes then went out, accompanied by many other cars adorned with golden Kuvaras, and infuriate elephants resembling mountains, and horses quick-coursing as Garudas, and the infantry armed with bows and weapons.
ययौ स्थानां पुरतो हि सा चर्मू स्तथैव पश्चादतिमात्रसारिणी। पुरश्च पश्चाच्च यथा महानदी तमृक्षवन्तं गिरिमेत्य नर्मदा॥
That army, moving quickly, proceeded in two detachments, one in the van and the other in the rear of those princes. The spectacle shone like two currents of the great river Narmada at the point where it is divided by the Rikshavat mountains standing across it.
ततः पुरस्ताद्भगवान्निशाकरः समुत्थितस्तामभिहर्षयंश्चमूम्। दिवाकरापीतरसा महौषधी: पुनः स्वकेनैव गुणेन योजयन्॥
Cheering up that great army the divine Moon rose before it in the sky, once more giving moisture, by his own force, to the terrestrial herbs and plants whose juice has been drunk up by the Sun.
ततः पुरं सुरपुरसम्मितद्युति प्रविश्य ते यदुवृषपाण्डवास्तदा। यथोचितान् भवनवरान् समाविशञ् श्रमान्विता मृगपतयो गुहा इव॥
Then that foremost of Yadu's race and the sons of Pandu, entering the (Kuru) city which was shining like that of the city of Indra itself, proceeded to their respective edifices like tired lions seeking their caves.