Mahabharata — Volume I (Dutt edition) — Chapter 275

MBh 1 275.1

शिशुपाल उवाच विभीषिकाभिर्बह्वीभिर्भीषयन् सर्वपार्थिवान्। न व्यपत्रपसे कस्माद् वृद्धः सन् कुलपांसन॥

śiśupāla uvāca vibhīṣikābhirbahvībhirbhīṣayan sarvapārthivān| na vyapatrapase kasmād vṛddhaḥ san kulapāṃsana||

Shishupala said Old and infamous wretch of your race, are you not ashamed to frighten all these kings by these false terrors?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.2

युक्तमेतत् तृतीयायां प्रकृतौ वर्तता त्वया। वक्तुं धर्मादपेतार्थं त्वं हि सर्वकुरूत्तमः॥

yuktametat tṛtīyāyāṃ prakṛtau vartatā tvayā| vaktuṃ dharmādapetārthaṃ tvaṃ hi sarvakurūttamaḥ||

You are the foremost of the Purus-living as you do in the third state (celibacy), it is but fit that you should give such advice, which is so void of morality.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.3

नावि नौरिव सम्बद्धा यथान्धो वान्धमन्वियात्। तथाभूता हि कौरव्या येषां भीष्म त्वमग्रणीः॥

nāvi nauriva sambaddhā yathāndho vāndhamanviyāt| tathābhūtā hi kauravyā yeṣāṃ bhīṣma tvamagraṇīḥ||

O Bhishma, when you are their leader the Purus are like a boat tied to a boat, or like a blind man following a blind man.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.4

पूतनाघातपूर्वाणि कर्माण्यस्य विशेषतः। त्वया कीर्तयतास्माकं भूयः प्रव्यथितं मनः॥

pūtanāghātapūrvāṇi karmāṇyasya viśeṣataḥ| tvayā kīrtayatāsmākaṃ bhūyaḥ pravyathitaṃ manaḥ||

You have once again given pains to our hearts by reciting the deeds of this (Krishna), such as his killing Putana and others.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.5

अवलिप्तस्य मूर्खस्य केशवं स्तोतुमिच्छतः। कथं भीष्म न ते जिह्वा शतधेयं विदीर्यते॥

avaliptasya mūrkhasya keśavaṃ stotumicchataḥ| kathaṃ bhīṣma na te jihvā śatadheyaṃ vidīryate||

O Bhishma, arrogant and fool as you are, and also desirous of praising Krishna, why does not your tongue split into a hundred parts?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.6

यत्र कुत्सा प्रयोक्तव्या भीष्म बालतरैनरैः। तमिमं ज्ञानवृद्धः सन् गोपं संस्तोतुमिच्छसि॥

yatra kutsā prayoktavyā bhīṣma bālatarainaraiḥ| tamimaṃ jñānavṛddhaḥ san gopaṃ saṃstotumicchasi||

O Bhishma, how do you, superior as you are in knowledge, desire to praise the cowherd (Krishna) whose evil repute is told even by men with childish intelligence,

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.7

यद्यनेन हतो बाल्ये शकुनिश्चित्रमत्र किम्। तौ वाश्ववृषभौ भीष्म यौ न युद्धविशारदौ॥

yadyanena hato bālye śakuniścitramatra kim| tau vāśvavṛṣabhau bhīṣma yau na yuddhaviśāradau||

O Bhishma, if he (Krishna) has killed a vulture in his childhood, what is there to praise in that feat? What is there also in his killing of Ashva and Vrishabha, both of whom were ignorant of the science of war?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.8

चेतनारहितं काष्ठं यद्यनेन निपातितम्। पादेन शकटं भीष्म तत्र किं कृतमद्भुतम्॥

cetanārahitaṃ kāṣṭhaṃ yadyanena nipātitam| pādena śakaṭaṃ bhīṣma tatra kiṃ kṛtamadbhutam||

O Bhishma, what is there wonderful if this (Krishna) threw down by a kick an inanimate piece of wood, namely a car?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.9

वल्मीकमात्रः सप्ताहं यद्यनेन धृतोऽचलः। तदा गोवर्धनो भीष्म न तच्चित्रं मतं मम॥

valmīkamātraḥ saptāhaṃ yadyanena dhṛto'calaḥ| tadā govardhano bhīṣma na taccitraṃ mataṃ mama||

O Bhishma, in my opinion there was nothing remarkable in this one's holding for a week the Govardhana hill which is like an anthill.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.10

भुक्तमेतेन बह्वन्नं क्रीडता नगमूर्धनि। इति ते भीष्म शृण्वानाः परे विस्मयमागताः॥

bhuktametena bahvannaṃ krīḍatā nagamūrdhani| iti te bhīṣma śṛṇvānāḥ pare vismayamāgatāḥ||

O Bhishma, "while sporting on the hills, this one ate a large quantity of food,” hearing these words of yours, many have been much astonished.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.11

यस्य चानेन धर्मज्ञ भुक्तमन्नं बलीयसः। स चानेन हतः कंस इत्येतन्न महाद्भुतम्॥

yasya cānena dharmajña bhuktamannaṃ balīyasaḥ| sa cānena hataḥ kaṃsa ityetanna mahādbhutam||

O (Bhishma) learned in the precepts of religion, what could be more wonderful than this one's killing Kansa, by whose food he became fattened and strong.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.12

न ते श्रुतमिदं भीष्म नूनं कथयतां सताम्। यद् वक्ष्ये त्वामधर्मज्ञं वाक्यं कुरुकुलाधम॥

na te śrutamidaṃ bhīṣma nūnaṃ kathayatāṃ satām| yad vakṣye tvāmadharmajñaṃ vākyaṃ kurukulādhama||

O Bhishma, O wretch of the Puru race, you are ignorant of the precepts of religion. You have not heard from the pious men what I would now tell you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.13

स्त्रीषु गोषु न शस्त्राणि पातयेद् ब्राह्मणेषु च। यस्य चान्नानि भुञ्जीत यत्र च स्यात् प्रतिश्रयः॥ इति सन्तोऽनुशासन्ति सज्जनं धर्मिणः सदा। भीष्म लोके हि तत् सर्वं वितथं त्वयि दृश्यते॥

strīṣu goṣu na śastrāṇi pātayed brāhmaṇeṣu ca| yasya cānnāni bhuñjīta yatra ca syāt pratiśrayaḥ|| iti santo'nuśāsanti sajjanaṃ dharmiṇaḥ sadā| bhīṣma loke hi tat sarvaṃ vitathaṃ tvayi dṛśyate||

The pious men always instruct good men not to use weapons against women, kine, Brahmanas and the men whose food has been partaken, and also those whose shelter has been enjoyed. O Bhishma, it appears all this teaching has been thrown away on you.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.14

ज्ञानवृद्धं च वृद्धं च भूयांसं केशवं मम। अजानत इवाख्यासि संस्तुवन् कौरवाधम॥

jñānavṛddhaṃ ca vṛddhaṃ ca bhūyāṃsaṃ keśavaṃ mama| ajānata ivākhyāsi saṃstuvan kauravādhama||

Owretch of the Kuru race, wishing to praise Keshava (Krishna), you describe him before me as great and superior in knowledge and age, as if I know nothing.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.15

गोनः स्त्रीनश्च सन् भीष्म त्वद्वाक्याद् यदि पूज्यते। एवंभूतश्च यो भीष्म कथं संस्तवमर्हति॥

gonaḥ strīnaśca san bhīṣma tvadvākyād yadi pūjyate| evaṃbhūtaśca yo bhīṣma kathaṃ saṃstavamarhati||

O Bhishma, if at your word one who has killed women and kine be worshipped, what then is to become of this teaching? O Bhishma, how can he deserve praise who is such?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.16

असौ मतिमतां श्रेष्ठो य एथ जगतः प्रभुः। सम्भावयति चाप्येवं त्वद्वाक्याच्च जनार्दनः। एवमेतत् सर्वमिति तत् सर्वं वितथं ध्रुवम्॥

asau matimatāṃ śreṣṭho ya etha jagataḥ prabhuḥ| sambhāvayati cāpyevaṃ tvadvākyācca janārdanaḥ| evametat sarvamiti tat sarvaṃ vitathaṃ dhruvam||

"This one is the foremost of all wise men," and "This one is the lord of the universe," hearing these words of yours, Janardana (Krishna) believes that they are all true. But they are surely all false.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.17

न गाथागाथिनं शास्ति बहु चेदपि गायति। प्रकृति यान्ति भूतानि भूलिङ्गशकुनिर्यथा॥

na gāthāgāthinaṃ śāsti bahu cedapi gāyati| prakṛti yānti bhūtāni bhūliṅgaśakuniryathā||

The verses that a chaunter chaunts, though he chants them often, would produce no impression on him. every creature acts according to his own disposition like the bird Bhulinga.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.18

नूनं प्रकृतिरेषा ते जघन्या नात्र संशयः। अति पापीयसी चैषा पाण्डवानामपीष्यते॥ येषामर्थ्यतमः कृष्णस्त्वं च येषां प्रदर्शकः। धर्मवांस्त्वमधर्मज्ञः सतां मार्गादवप्लुतः॥

nūnaṃ prakṛtireṣā te jaghanyā nātra saṃśayaḥ| ati pāpīyasī caiṣā pāṇḍavānāmapīṣyate|| yeṣāmarthyatamaḥ kṛṣṇastvaṃ ca yeṣāṃ pradarśakaḥ| dharmavāṃstvamadharmajñaḥ satāṃ mārgādavaplutaḥ||

There is not the least doubt that your disposition is very mean. It appears the Pandavas also who consider Krishna as deserving of worship and who have you for their leader are of sinful dispositions. Though you possess the knowledge of virtue, yet you have fallen from the path of virtue.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.19

को हि धर्मिणमात्मानं जानज्ञानविदां वरः। कुर्याद् यथा त्वया भीष्म कृतं धर्ममवेक्षता॥

ko hi dharmiṇamātmānaṃ jānajñānavidāṃ varaḥ| kuryād yathā tvayā bhīṣma kṛtaṃ dharmamavekṣatā||

O Bhishma, who will so act as you have from the motives of virtue, knowing himself to be virtuous and superior in knowledge?

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.20

चेत् त्वं धर्मं विजानासि यदि प्राज्ञा मतिस्तव। अन्यकामा हि धर्मज्ञा कन्यका प्राज्ञमानिना। अम्बा नामेति भद्रं ते कथं सापहृता त्वया॥ तां त्वयापि हृतां भीष्म कन्यां नैषितवान् यतः। भ्राता विचित्रवीर्यस्ते सतां मार्गमनुष्ठितः॥

cet tvaṃ dharmaṃ vijānāsi yadi prājñā matistava| anyakāmā hi dharmajñā kanyakā prājñamāninā| ambā nāmeti bhadraṃ te kathaṃ sāpahṛtā tvayā|| tāṃ tvayāpi hṛtāṃ bhīṣma kanyāṃ naiṣitavān yataḥ| bhrātā vicitravīryaste satāṃ mārgamanuṣṭhitaḥ||

O Bhishma, if you know Dharına, if your mind is guided by wisdom, why was that virtuous maiden Amba, who desired to have another for her husband, was forcibly carried away by you? Your brother Vichitravirya who followed the path of the pious men,

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.21

दारयोर्यस्य चान्येन मिषतः प्राज्ञमानिनः। तव जातान्यपत्यानि सज्जनाचरिते पथि।॥

dārayoryasya cānyena miṣataḥ prājñamāninaḥ| tava jātānyapatyāni sajjanācarite pathi|||

Knowing her state of mind, did not marry her, though she was brought by you. Proud as you are of your virtue, in your very sight sons were begotten by another on the widow of your brother according to the ways of the pious.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.22

को हि धर्मोऽस्ति ते भीष्म ब्रह्मचर्यमिदं वृथा। यद् धारयसि मोहाद् वा क्लीबत्वाद् वा न संशयः।।

ko hi dharmo'sti te bhīṣma brahmacaryamidaṃ vṛthā| yad dhārayasi mohād vā klībatvād vā na saṃśayaḥ||

O Bhishma, where is your virtue? your Brahmacharya is in vain. Your celibacy is no doubt the result of your ignorance or impotence.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.23

न त्वहं तव धर्मज्ञ पश्याम्युपचयं क्वचित्। न हि ते सेविता वृद्धा य एवं धर्ममब्रवीः॥

na tvahaṃ tava dharmajña paśyāmyupacayaṃ kvacit| na hi te sevitā vṛddhā ya evaṃ dharmamabravīḥ||

O (Bhishma), learned in Dharma, I do not see your prosperity. You who thus preach moralịty does not seem to have ever waited upon the old.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.24

इष्टं दत्तमधीतं च यज्ञाश्च बहुदक्षिणाः। सर्वमेतदपत्यस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्॥

iṣṭaṃ dattamadhītaṃ ca yajñāśca bahudakṣiṇāḥ| sarvametadapatyasya kalāṃ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm||

Worship, gift, study, large-Dakshina giving sacrifices, these all are not equal to sixteenth part of that merit which is obtained by the possession of a son.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.25

व्रतोपवासैर्बहुभिः कृतं भवति भीष्म यत्। सर्वं तदनपत्यस्य मोघं भवति निश्चयात्॥

vratopavāsairbahubhiḥ kṛtaṃ bhavati bhīṣma yat| sarvaṃ tadanapatyasya moghaṃ bhavati niścayāt||

O Bhishma, the merit that is obtained by observing many vows and fasts surely goes all in vain if one is childless.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.26

सोऽनपत्यश्च वृद्धश्च मिथ्याधर्मानुसारकः। हंसवत् त्वमपीदानीं ज्ञातिभ्यः प्राप्नुया वधम्॥

so'napatyaśca vṛddhaśca mithyādharmānusārakaḥ| haṃsavat tvamapīdānīṃ jñātibhyaḥ prāpnuyā vadham||

You are childless, you are old, you are an expounder of false morality. Like the swan in ne the story, you shall now be killed by your own relatives.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.27

एवं हि कथयन्त्यन्ये नरा ज्ञानविदः पुरा। भीष्म यत् तदहं सम्यग् वक्ष्यामि तव शृण्वतः॥

evaṃ hi kathayantyanye narā jñānavidaḥ purā| bhīṣma yat tadahaṃ samyag vakṣyāmi tava śṛṇvataḥ||

O Bhishma, the learned men have said this (story) of old. I shall presently narrate it in full in your hearing.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.28

वृद्धः किल समुद्रान्ते कश्चिद्वंसोऽभवत् पुरा। धर्मवागन्यथावृत्तः पक्षिणः सोऽनुशास्ति च॥

vṛddhaḥ kila samudrānte kaścidvaṃso'bhavat purā| dharmavāganyathāvṛttaḥ pakṣiṇaḥ so'nuśāsti ca||

In the days of yore there lived an old swan on the coast of the sea. He always spoke of morality and used to instruct all the birds, but his conduct was otherwise.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.29

धर्मं चरत माधर्ममिति तस्य वचः किल। पक्षिणः शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं सत्यवादिनः॥

dharmaṃ carata mādharmamiti tasya vacaḥ kila| pakṣiṇaḥ śuśruvurbhīṣma satataṃ satyavādinaḥ||

O Bhishma, “Practice virtue and forego sin", these were the words that the truthful (birds) heard him say.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.30

अथास्य भक्ष्यमाजहः समुद्रजलचारिणः। अण्डजा भीष्म तस्मान्ये धर्मार्थमिति शुश्रुम॥

athāsya bhakṣyamājahaḥ samudrajalacāriṇaḥ| aṇḍajā bhīṣma tasmānye dharmārthamiti śuśruma||

O Bhishma, it has been heard by us that oviparous creatures, (all) dwelling in the sea, brought him food for the sake of virtue.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.31

ते च तस्य समभ्याशे निक्षिप्याण्डानि सर्वशः। समुद्राम्भस्यमज्जन्त चरन्तो भीष्म पक्षिणः। तेषामण्डानि सर्वेषां भक्षयामास पापकृत्॥

te ca tasya samabhyāśe nikṣipyāṇḍāni sarvaśaḥ| samudrāmbhasyamajjanta caranto bhīṣma pakṣiṇaḥ| teṣāmaṇḍāni sarveṣāṃ bhakṣayāmāsa pāpakṛt||

O Bhishma, all those birds left their eggs with him, ranged and dived in the waters of the sea. But that sinful wretch ate them (eggs) all.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.32

स हंसः सम्प्रमत्तानामप्रमत्तः स्वकर्मणि। ततः प्रक्षीयमाणेषु तेषु तेष्वण्डजोऽपरः। अशङ्कत महाप्राज्ञः स कदाचिद् ददर्श ह॥

sa haṃsaḥ sampramattānāmapramattaḥ svakarmaṇi| tataḥ prakṣīyamāṇeṣu teṣu teṣvaṇḍajo'paraḥ| aśaṅkata mahāprājñaḥ sa kadācid dadarśa ha||

That swan, always attentive to his own purpose, ate the eggs foolishly trusted to him, Some time after seeing the eggs decreased in number, another greatly intelligent bird suspected him, and one day he saw him (eat those eggs).

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.33

ततः स कथयामास दृष्ट्वा हंसस्य किल्बिषम्। तेषां परमदुःखार्तः स पक्षी सर्वपक्षिणाम्॥

tataḥ sa kathayāmāsa dṛṣṭvā haṃsasya kilbiṣam| teṣāṃ paramaduḥkhārtaḥ sa pakṣī sarvapakṣiṇām||

Having witnessed the sinful act of the swan, that bird spoke of it to all the other birds in great sorrow.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.34

ततः प्रत्यक्षतो दृष्ट्वा पक्षिणस्ते समीपगाः। निजघ्नुस्तं तदा हंसं मिथ्यावृत्तं कुरूद्वह॥

tataḥ pratyakṣato dṛṣṭvā pakṣiṇaste samīpagāḥ| nijaghnustaṃ tadā haṃsaṃ mithyāvṛttaṃ kurūdvaha||

O excellent Puru, then all those birds, witnessing with their own eyes the act of the (old), swan, came to him, and they then killed that wretch of false conduct.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.35

ते त्वां हंससधर्माणमपीमे वसुधाधिपाः। निहन्युर्भीष्म संक्रुद्धाः पक्षिणस्तं यथाण्डजम्॥

te tvāṃ haṃsasadharmāṇamapīme vasudhādhipāḥ| nihanyurbhīṣma saṃkruddhāḥ pakṣiṇastaṃ yathāṇḍajam||

O Bhishma, your conduct is like that of the old swan. These kings might kill you in anger as the birds killed the old swan.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.36

गाथामप्यत्र गायन्ति ये पुराणविदो जनाः। भीष्म यां तां च ते सम्यक् कथयिष्यामि भारत॥३९।

gāthāmapyatra gāyanti ye purāṇavido janāḥ| bhīṣma yāṃ tāṃ ca te samyak kathayiṣyāmi bhārata||39|

0. Bhishma, the Purana-knowing men mention a proverb as regard this occurrence. O descendant of Bharata, I shall repeat it to you in detail.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 1 275.37

अन्तरात्मन्यभिहते रौषि पत्ररथाशुचि। अण्डभक्षणकर्मैतत् तव वाचमतीयते॥

antarātmanyabhihate rauṣi patrarathāśuci| aṇḍabhakṣaṇakarmaitat tava vācamatīyate||

It is this “O bird, though your heart is affected, yet you preach. But your this sinful act of eating the eggs transgresses of your speeches".

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)