Mahabharata — Volume III (Dutt edition) — Chapter 226
MBh 3 226.1
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः शान्तनवं भीष्मं प्राञ्जलिधृतराष्ट्रजः। सह सर्वैर्महीपालैरिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
vaiśampāyana uvāca tataḥ śāntanavaṃ bhīṣmaṃ prāñjalidhṛtarāṣṭrajaḥ| saha sarvairmahīpālairidaṃ vacanamabravīt||
Vaishampayana said Then did the son of Dhritarashtra, with clasped hands, along with all these rulers of the earth, say these words to Bhishma, the son of Shantanu.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.2
ऋते सेनाप्रणेतारं पृतना सुमहत्यपि। दीर्यते युद्धमासाद्य पिपीलिकपुटं यथा॥
ṛte senāpraṇetāraṃ pṛtanā sumahatyapi| dīryate yuddhamāsādya pipīlikapuṭaṃ yathā||
“Without a (suitable) leader of the army even a large army is broken up when engaged in battle like a swarm of ants.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.3
न हि जातु द्वयोर्बुद्धिः समा भवति कर्हिचित्। शौर्यं च बलनेतृणां स्पर्धते च परस्परम्॥
na hi jātu dvayorbuddhiḥ samā bhavati karhicit| śauryaṃ ca balanetṛṇāṃ spardhate ca parasparam||
The opinions of two seldom agree besides the leaders of hosts are jealous of one another regarding their own prowess.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.4
श्रूयते च महाप्राज्ञ हैहयानमितौजसः। अभ्ययुर्ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे समुच्छ्रितकुशध्वजाः॥
śrūyate ca mahāprājña haihayānamitaujasaḥ| abhyayurbrāhmaṇāḥ sarve samucchritakuśadhvajāḥ||
It is heard, O you of great wisdom, that all the Brahmanas having assembled together, hoisted up their flag of Kusha and proclaimed war with the Haihayas of immeasurable energy.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.5
तानभ्ययुस्तदा वैश्याः शूद्राश्चैव पितामह। एकतस्तु त्रयो वर्णा एकतः क्षत्रियर्षभाः॥
tānabhyayustadā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāścaiva pitāmaha| ekatastu trayo varṇā ekataḥ kṣatriyarṣabhāḥ||
They were joined. O grandfather, by the Vaishyas and Sudras. There were thus on one side three orders and those best among the Kshatriyas on the other.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.6
ततो युद्धेष्वभज्यन्त त्रयो वर्णाः पुनः पुनः। क्षत्रियाच जयन्त्येव बहुलं चैकतो बलम्॥
tato yuddheṣvabhajyanta trayo varṇāḥ punaḥ punaḥ| kṣatriyāca jayantyeva bahulaṃ caikato balam||
The three orders broke up again and again in the battle that followed and the Kshatriyas were victorious over that large army though they were alone.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.7
ततस्ते क्षत्रियानेव पप्रच्छुर्द्विजसत्तमाः। तेभ्यः शशंसुर्धर्मज्ञा याथातथ्यं पितामह॥
tataste kṣatriyāneva papracchurdvijasattamāḥ| tebhyaḥ śaśaṃsurdharmajñā yāthātathyaṃ pitāmaha||
Then did these best among the twice-born asked the Kshatriya the cause of his and O grandfather, and those men conversant with virtue told them the truth.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.8
वयमेकस्य शृण्वानां महाबुद्धिमतो रणे। भवन्तस्तु पृथक् सर्वे स्वबुद्धिवशवर्तिनः॥
vayamekasya śṛṇvānāṃ mahābuddhimato raṇe| bhavantastu pṛthak sarve svabuddhivaśavartinaḥ||
"In battle we listen to the commands of any one person who is the wisest among us, but you are separated and follow your individual whims,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.9
ततस्ते ब्राह्मणाश्चनुरेकं सेनापतिं द्विजम्। नये सुकुशलं शूरमजयन् क्षत्रियांस्ततः॥
tataste brāhmaṇāścanurekaṃ senāpatiṃ dvijam| naye sukuśalaṃ śūramajayan kṣatriyāṃstataḥ||
Then did those best among the Brahmanas make one among the twice-born the leader of their army, who was skillful in diplomacy and then did they win a victory ever the Kshatriyas
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.10
एवं ये कुशलं शूरं हितेप्सितमकल्मषम्। सेनापतिं प्रकुर्वन्ति ते जयन्ति रणे रिपून्॥
evaṃ ye kuśalaṃ śūraṃ hitepsitamakalmaṣam| senāpatiṃ prakurvanti te jayanti raṇe ripūn||
In the same way those, who appoint a skillful hero who has the good of his party at heart as the leader of the army, vanquish their enemies in battle.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.11
भवानुशनसा तुल्यो हितैषी च सदा मम। असंहार्यः स्थितो धर्म स नः सेनापतिर्भव॥
bhavānuśanasā tulyo hitaiṣī ca sadā mama| asaṃhāryaḥ sthito dharma sa naḥ senāpatirbhava||
You are equal to Ushanas himself and over wish me well and follow a righteous course from which you never fall off. Therefore do you become a general.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.12
रश्मिवतामिवादित्यो वीस्थामिव चन्द्रमाः। कुबेर इव यक्षाणां देवानामिव वासवः॥
raśmivatāmivādityo vīsthāmiva candramāḥ| kubera iva yakṣāṇāṃ devānāmiva vāsavaḥ||
You are as the sun is among the luminous bodies, the moon among deciduous herbs, Kubera among the Yakshas, Vasava among the gods,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.13
पर्वतानां यथा मेरुः सुपर्णः पक्षिणां यथा। कुमार इव देवानां वसूनामिव हव्यवाट्॥
parvatānāṃ yathā meruḥ suparṇaḥ pakṣiṇāṃ yathā| kumāra iva devānāṃ vasūnāmiva havyavāṭ||
Meru among the mountains, Suparna among the birds, Kumara among the gods, Indra among the Vasus.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.14
भवता हि वयं गुप्ताः शक्रेणेव दिवौकसः। अनाधृष्या भविष्यामस्त्रिदशानामपि ध्रुवम्॥
bhavatā hi vayaṃ guptāḥ śakreṇeva divaukasaḥ| anādhṛṣyā bhaviṣyāmastridaśānāmapi dhruvam||
Protected by you we will be as the gods protected by Shakra and we shall surely be invincible even by the denizens of heaven.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.15
प्रयातु नो भवानग्रे देवानामिव पावकिः। वयं त्वामनुयास्यामः सौरभेया इवर्षभम्॥
prayātu no bhavānagre devānāmiva pāvakiḥ| vayaṃ tvāmanuyāsyāmaḥ saurabheyā ivarṣabham||
You march in our front as the son of Agni (Kumara) among the gods and we shall follow you like calves following a cow.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.16
भीष्म उवाच एवमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि भारत। यथैव हि भवन्तो मे तथैव मम पाण्डवाः॥
bhīṣma uvāca evametanmahābāho yathā vadasi bhārata| yathaiva hi bhavanto me tathaiva mama pāṇḍavāḥ||
Bhishma said It is as you say, O Bharata, O you of long arms but as you are to me so are the Pandavas.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.17
अपि चैव मया श्रेयो वाच्यं तेषां नराधिप। संयोद्धव्यं तवार्थाय यथा मे समयः कृतः॥
api caiva mayā śreyo vācyaṃ teṣāṃ narādhipa| saṃyoddhavyaṃ tavārthāya yathā me samayaḥ kṛtaḥ||
And it is also my duty to look after their welfare, O ruler of men; but I shall fight on your behalf since I have promised it.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.18
न तु पश्यामि योद्धारमात्मन: सदृशं भुवि। ऋते तस्मान्नरव्याघ्रात् कुन्तीपुत्राद् धनंजयात्॥
na tu paśyāmi yoddhāramātmana: sadṛśaṃ bhuvi| ṛte tasmānnaravyāghrāt kuntīputrād dhanaṃjayāt||
I do not see any soldier equal to me in this world save that best among men Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.19
स हि वेद महाबुद्धिर्दिव्यान्यस्त्राण्यनेकशः। न तु मां विवृतो युद्धे जातु युध्येत पाण्डवः॥
sa hi veda mahābuddhirdivyānyastrāṇyanekaśaḥ| na tu māṃ vivṛto yuddhe jātu yudhyeta pāṇḍavaḥ||
He (Arjuna) is a man of great wisdom and knows the use of celestial weapons and many other weapons but that son of Pandu will never encounter me in open fight.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.20
अहं चैव क्षणेनैव निर्मनुष्यमिदं जगत्। कुर्यां शस्त्रबलेनैव ससुरासुरराक्षसम्॥
ahaṃ caiva kṣaṇenaiva nirmanuṣyamidaṃ jagat| kuryāṃ śastrabalenaiva sasurāsurarākṣasam||
I, in a moment, shall make this world destitute of men, gods, Asuras and Rakshasas by the strength of my weapons.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.21
न त्वेवोत्सादनीया मे पाण्डोः पुत्रा जनाधिप। तस्माद् योधान् हनिष्यामि प्रयोगेणायुतं सदा॥
na tvevotsādanīyā me pāṇḍoḥ putrā janādhipa| tasmād yodhān haniṣyāmi prayogeṇāyutaṃ sadā||
But these sons of Pandu ought not to be slain by me, O ruler of men; therefore shall I slay ten thousand warriors every day.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.22
एवमेषां करिष्यामि निधनं कुरुनन्दन। न चेत् ते मां हनिष्यन्ति पूर्वमेव समागमे॥
evameṣāṃ kariṣyāmi nidhanaṃ kurunandana| na cet te māṃ haniṣyanti pūrvameva samāgame||
In this way, shall I bring on their end o delighter of the Kuru race, if indeed they do not kill me before I have time to carry out my desire in the battle.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.23
सेनापतिस्त्वहं राजन् समये नापरेण ते। भविष्यामि यथाकामं तन्मे श्रोतुमिहार्हसि॥
senāpatistvahaṃ rājan samaye nāpareṇa te| bhaviṣyāmi yathākāmaṃ tanme śrotumihārhasi||
But there is another condition on which I shall be the leader of your army; that desire which I have in my heart it is proper that you should hear of.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.24
कर्णो वा युध्यतां पूर्वमहं वा पृथिवीपते। स्पर्धते हि सदात्यर्थं सूतपुत्रो मया रणे॥
karṇo vā yudhyatāṃ pūrvamahaṃ vā pṛthivīpate| spardhate hi sadātyarthaṃ sūtaputro mayā raṇe||
Either let Karna fight first or myself, O lord of the earth. The son of the Suta always compares his prowess in battle with mine,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.25
कर्ण उवाच नाहं जीवति गाङ्गेये राजन् योत्स्ये कथंचन। हते भीष्मे तु योत्स्यामि सह गाण्डीवधन्वना॥
karṇa uvāca nāhaṃ jīvati gāṅgeye rājan yotsye kathaṃcana| hate bhīṣme tu yotsyāmi saha gāṇḍīvadhanvanā||
Karria said So long as the son of Ganga is alive I shall never fight, O king; when Bhishma is slain, I shall fight with him who wields the Gandiva bow.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.26
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः सेनापतिं चक्रे विधिवद् भूरिदक्षिणम्। धृतराष्ट्रात्मजो भीष्मं सोऽभिषिक्तो व्यरोचत॥
vaiśampāyana uvāca tataḥ senāpatiṃ cakre vidhivad bhūridakṣiṇam| dhṛtarāṣṭrātmajo bhīṣmaṃ so'bhiṣikto vyarocata||
Vaishampayana said Then did the son of Dhritarashtra make Bhishma, who had made liberal gifts, the commander of his army, and he too being duly installed blazed forth.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.27
ततो भेरीश्च शङ्खांश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। वादयामासुरव्यग्रा वादका राजशासनात्॥
tato bherīśca śaṅkhāṃśca śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ| vādayāmāsuravyagrā vādakā rājaśāsanāt||
Drums and conches were then sounded by hundreds and thousands by eager musicians by command of the king,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.28
सिंहनादाश्च विविधा वाहनानां च निःस्वनाः। प्रादुरासन्ननभ्रे च वर्षं रुधिरकर्दमम्॥
siṃhanādāśca vividhā vāhanānāṃ ca niḥsvanāḥ| prādurāsannanabhre ca varṣaṃ rudhirakardamam||
There were also roars like those of lions and several other sorts of roars among the army; and though there were no clouds in the sky there was a down pour of blood which made the ground full of mire.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.29
निर्घाताः पृथिवीकम्पा कजबंहितनिःस्वनाः। आसंश्च सर्वयोधानां पातयन्तो मनांस्युत॥
nirghātāḥ pṛthivīkampā kajabaṃhitaniḥsvanāḥ| āsaṃśca sarvayodhānāṃ pātayanto manāṃsyuta||
There were also earthquakes and whirlwinds and roars made by elephants which succeeded in casting a shade on the minds of all warriors.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.30
वाचश्चाप्यशरीरिण्यो दिवश्चोल्काः प्रपेदिरे। शिवाश्च भयवेदिन्यो नेदुर्दीप्ततरा भृशम्॥
vācaścāpyaśarīriṇyo divaścolkāḥ prapedire| śivāśca bhayavedinyo nedurdīptatarā bhṛśam||
There were also incorporeal voices and meteors shot forth the heavens and jackals began to make frightful howls and the cardinal points seemed ablaze.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.31
सैनापत्ये यदा राजा गाङ्गेयमभिषिक्तवान्। तदैतान्युग्ररूपाणि बभूवुः शतशो नृप।॥
saināpatye yadā rājā gāṅgeyamabhiṣiktavān| tadaitānyugrarūpāṇi babhūvuḥ śataśo nṛpa|||
When the king installed the son of Ganga in the generalship these frightful sights appeared in hundreds, O ruler of men.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.32
ततः सेनापति कृत्वा भीष्मं परबलार्दनम्। वाचयित्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठान् गोभिर्निष्कैश्च भूरिश;॥
tataḥ senāpati kṛtvā bhīṣmaṃ parabalārdanam| vācayitvā dvijaśreṣṭhān gobhirniṣkaiśca bhūriśa;||
Then having appointed, Bhishma the grinder of the enemies' hosts, as the general and having made liberal presents of cows and gold to the foremost among the twice born.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.33
वर्धमानो जयाशीभिर्निर्ययौ सैनिकैर्वृतः। आपगेयं पुरस्कृत्य भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तदा।॥
vardhamāno jayāśībhirniryayau sainikairvṛtaḥ| āpageyaṃ puraskṛtya bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitastadā|||
He marched forth with the blessings of those Brahmanas glorifying him, surrounded by his army placing Bhishma at the head of his host and accompanied by his brothers.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.34
स्कन्धावारेण महता कुरुक्षेत्रं जगाम ह॥
skandhāvāreṇa mahatā kurukṣetraṃ jagāma ha||
And with a large army he went to Kurukshetra.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.35
परिक्रम्य कुरुक्षेत्रं कर्णेन सह कौरवः। शिबिरं मापयामास समे देशे जनाधिप।॥
parikramya kurukṣetraṃ karṇena saha kauravaḥ| śibiraṃ māpayāmāsa same deśe janādhipa|||
The of Kuru having traversed Kurukshetra in company with Karna placed his camps in a plain, O ruler of men,
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 3 226.36
मधुरानूषरे देशे प्रभूतयवसेन्धने। यथैव हास्तिनपुरं तद्वच्छिबिरमाबभौ॥
madhurānūṣare deśe prabhūtayavasendhane| yathaiva hāstinapuraṃ tadvacchibiramābabhau||
In a part which was also charming and without sands and abounded, fuel and fodder. The encampment then shone forth as the city of Hastina. son
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)