Satyavati, full of trust in her son’s virtue and strength, addressed him with great assurance. “O upholder of righteousness, I am confident in you, and so I appoint you to this sacred task. Listen well, and act as I direct. Your brother, my son, was valiant and dear to you, but though still young, he has departed for heaven without leaving an heir. Here are his two queens, daughters of the King of Kashi, endowed with youth and beauty, longing for sons to continue our line. “By my command, mighty-armed one, you must raise offspring from them for the sake of our lineage, in accordance with righteousness. Assume the sovereignty and rule over the Bharatas as dharma prescribes. Take wives as is proper, and do not let the line of our ancestors be extinguished.” Thus urged by his mother and by his friends, Bhishma, ever devoted to righteousness and a subduer of foes, replied with words befitting the occasion. “Mother, you have indeed spoken the highest righteousness, and you know well the vow I have taken concerning offspring. You, Satyavati, witnessed all that transpired for the sake of the bride-price; I swear again before you, this is the truth. I would renounce the three worlds, or even the kingdom of the gods, or anything greater, but never, under any circumstance, the truth. “Earth may abandon its scent, water its taste, fire its form, and wind its quality of touch. The sun might forsake its radiance, the comet its heat, sound might depart from space, and the moon might lose its cool beams. Indra might give up his valor, Yama his virtue—but I would never, under any circumstance, resolve to abandon truth. Not even if the worlds were to perish, or for the sake of immortality, or for the wealth of all three worlds, would I act otherwise.” Hearing these unwavering words from her son, Satyavati, recognizing his vast energy and steadfastness, spoke again to Bhishma. “O mighty upholder of truth, I know your steadfastness well. If you so wished, you could create three worlds anew by your own power. I know this to be true, and I understand your words. But consider, in times of emergency, the law may require us to bear the ancestral burden. Do this, so the family line and righteousness may not fail, and that your friends may rejoice. For your own good, and for my happiness, do as I ask, O Bharata.” But as Satyavati lamented, longing for a son and speaking words contrary to righteousness, Bhishma replied again, “O Queen, consider what is right. Do not cause us all to be blamed. For a Kshatriya, deviation from truth is not praised, even in matters of duty. Yet, so that the lineage of Shantanu may remain unbroken, I will tell you of an ancient royal duty. Hear it, and act accordingly, with the wise priests skilled in the laws of emergencies and wealth, and in the ways of the world.” Bhishma then recounted an ancient tale: “In olden times, Jamadagni’s son, Rama, could not endure his father’s murder. Therefore, he slew the king of the Haihayas with his axe, severing hundreds of Arjuna’s arms and performing a most difficult duty for the world. Taking up his bow and releasing mighty weapons, he burned the Kshatriyas again and again, conquering the earth with his chariot. In this way, the great-souled Bhargava made the earth devoid of Kshatriyas twenty-one times. “When the world had thus been emptied of Kshatriyas, women of that order gathered from all sides. Then, Brahmanas learned in the Vedas begot children with these women, and it is established in the scriptures that these were sons born of lawful union. With righteousness in their minds, those Brahmanas approached the women, and thus the Kshatriya order was reborn in the world. Once again, the Kshatriya race arose, and I shall tell you another ancient tale. “There was once a wise sage named Uchathya, whose wife, greatly esteemed, was called Mamatā. Bṛhaspati, the brilliant younger brother of Uchathya and priest of the gods, desired Mamatā. She spoke to him, ‘O illustrious one, I am already pregnant by your elder brother. O Bṛhaspati, this noble child of Uchathya is in my womb, even now learning the six limbs of the Veda. Your seed is unfailing, but for two there can be no conception; therefore, you ought to desist.’ “Yet, though so addressed, noble Bṛhaspati could not restrain his desire. Overcome by passion, he was united with her against her will. As he released his seed, the child in the womb spoke out, ‘O revered one, do not act out of desire; for two, there can be no conception here. The space is small, O blessed one, and I have come first. Your seed is unfailing, and you should not cause harm.’ “Yet Bṛhaspati, disregarding the words of the unborn child, proceeded to unite with Mamatā. The sage within her womb, knowing the emission of seed, blocked its path with his feet, so that Bṛhaspati’s seed, unable to find its place, was checked.” Thus, Bhishma recounted these ancient precedents, guiding Satyavati to seek a righteous solution with the counsel of wise priests, so that the lineage might endure without the compromise of truth.