स एव हि मया वध्यो भविष्यति न संशयः। मतिमन्तश्च ये केचिदाचार्यं पितरं गुरुम्
He alone, indeed, will be slain by me—of this there is no doubt; and whoever among the wise regards the teacher, father, or guru as worthy of respect—
अर्च्यमर्चितमर्घार्हमनुजानन्तु ते नृपाः। ततो न व्याजहारैषां कश्चिद्बुद्धिमतां सताम्
—those kings who honor, worship, and offer due respect, let them permit it; therefore, none among the wise and virtuous spoke further.
मानिनां बलिनां राज्ञां मध्ये वै दर्शिते पदे। ततोऽपतत्पुष्पवृष्टिः सहदेवस्य मूर्धनि
When that step was displayed among the proud, powerful kings, then a shower of flowers fell upon Sahadeva's head.
अदृश्यरूपा वाचश्चाप्यब्रुवन्साधुसाध्विति। अविध्यदजिनं कृष्णं भविष्यद्भूतजल्पनः
Unseen voices also spoke, 'Well done, well done!' foretelling the future, as they praised Krishna, the wearer of the antelope skin.
सर्वसंशयनिर्मोक्ता नारदः सर्वलोकवित्। उवाचाखिलभूतानां मध्ये स्पष्टतरं वचः
Nārada, who is free from all doubts and knows all the worlds, spoke words that were especially clear in the midst of all beings.
कृष्णं कमलपत्राक्षं नार्चयिष्यन्ति ये नराः। जीवन्मृतास्तु ते ज्ञेया न सभाष्याः कदाचना
Those men who do not worship Kṛṣṇa, whose eyes are like lotus petals, should be regarded as dead even while living; they should never be spoken to.
पूजयित्वा च पूजार्हान्ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशेषवित्। सहदेवो नृणां देवः समापयत कर्म तत्
Having honored those worthy of honor, knowing the distinctions among Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, and others, Sahadeva, the god among men, completed that rite.
तस्मिन्नभ्यर्चिते कृष्णे सुनीथः शत्रुकर्षणः। अतिताम्रेक्षणः कोपादुवाच मनुजाधिपान्
When Kṛṣṇa had been thus worshipped, Sunītha, the subduer of enemies, with eyes reddened in anger, spoke to the kings.
स्थितः सेनापतिर्योऽहं मन्वध्वं किं तु साम्प्रतम्। युधि तिष्ठाम सन्नह्य समेतान्वृष्णिपाण्डवान्
I am the commander who stands here; now consider what should be done. Let us stand ready for battle, having gathered the Vṛṣṇis and Pāṇḍavas.
इति सर्वान्समुत्साद्य राज्ञस्तांशअचेदिपुङ्गवः। यज्ञोपघाताय ततः सोऽमन्त्रतय राजभिः
Thus, after rebuking all the kings, that foremost among the Cedis, with the intention of disrupting the sacrifice, then conferred with the kings.
तत्राहूतागताः सर्वे सुनीथप्रमुखा गणाः. समदृश्यन्त सङ्क्रुद्धा विवर्णवदनास्तथा
There, all the groups led by Sunītha, having been summoned, arrived. They appeared furious, their faces pale.
युधिष्ठिराभिषेकं च वासुदेवस्य चार्हणम्। न स्याद्यथा तथा कार्यमेवं सर्वे तदाऽब्रुवन्
The consecration of Yudhiṣṭhira and the honoring of Vāsudeva should not have happened as they did; all said this at that time.
निष्कर्षान्निश्चयात्सर्वे राजानः क्रोधमूर्छिताः। अब्रुवंस्तत्र राजानो निर्वेदादात्मनिश्चयात्
All the kings, overcome with anger and firm in their resolve, spoke there out of disillusionment and personal conviction.
सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणानां तेषां हि वपुराबभौ। आमिषादपकृष्टानां सिहानामिव गर्जताम्
As their friends tried to restrain them, their appearance was like that of enraged lions, drawn by bait, roaring together.
तं बलौघमपर्यन्तं राजसागारमक्षयम्। कुर्वाणं समयं कृष्णो युद्धाय बुबुधे तदा
Kṛṣṇa then understood that this endless, unfailing mass of royal power, forming an alliance for battle, was like a flood.
ततः सागरसङ्काशं दृष्ट्वा नृपतिमण्डलम्। संवर्तवाताभिहतं भीमं क्षुब्धमिवार्णवम्
Then, seeing the assembly of kings like an ocean, struck by the winds of destruction, Bhīma, it was like a stormy sea.
रोषात्प्रचलितं सर्वमिदमाह युधिष्ठिरः। भीष्मं मतिमतां मुख्यं वृद्धं कुरुपितामहम्। बृहस्पतिं बृहत्तेजाः पुरुहूत इवारिहा
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeing all this agitated with anger, spoke to Bhīṣma, the foremost of the wise, the aged grandsire of the Kurus, radiant like Bṛhaspati, the destroyer of foes, like Indra.
असौ रोषात्प्रचलितो महान्नृपतिसागरः। अत्र यत्प्रतिपत्तव्यं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
This great ocean of kings has been stirred up in anger; tell me, grandsire, what should be done here.
यज्ञस्य च न विघ्नः स्यात्प्रजानां च हितं भवेत्। यथा सर्वत्र तत्सर्वं ब्रूहि मेऽद्य पितामह
Let there be no obstruction to the sacrifice, and let it be for the good of the people; tell me today, grandsire, how all this may be accomplished everywhere.
इत्युक्तवति धर्मज्ञे धर्मराजे युधिष्ठिरे। उवाचेदं वचो भीष्मस्ततः कुरुपितामहः
When the righteous king Yudhiṣṭhira, knower of dharma, had spoken thus, then Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kurus, spoke these words.
मा भैस्त्वं कुरुशार्दूल श्वा सिंहं हन्तुमर्हति। शिवः पन्थाः सुनीतोऽत्र मया पूर्वतरं वृतः
Do not fear, tiger among the Kurus; a dog may wish to kill a lion. The path here is auspicious and well chosen, and I have taken it before.
प्रसुप्ते हि यथा सिंहे श्वानस्तात समागताः। भषेयुः सहिताः सर्वे तथेमे वसुधाधिपाः
Just as, when the lion is asleep, dogs may gather together and all bark at once, so are these lords of the earth.
वृष्णिसिंहस्य सुप्तस्य तथाऽमी प्रमुके स्थिताः। भषन्ते तात सङ्क्रुद्धाः श्वानः सिंहस्य सन्निधौ
Just as these angry dogs bark in the presence of a sleeping lion, so too do they stand before the lion of the Vrishni clan as he sleeps.
न हि सम्बुध्यते यावत्सुप्तः सिंह इवाच्युतः। ` तदिदं ज्ञातपूर्वं हि तव संस्तोतुमिच्छसि'। तेन सिंहीकरोत्येतानसिंहश्चेदिपुङ्गवः
For, O Achyuta, like a lion asleep, he does not awaken; and you, knowing this from before, wish to praise him. Therefore, if the best of men, the lion, should awaken, he would make these men into lions as well.
पार्थिवान्पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ शिशुपालोऽल्पचेतनः। सर्वान्सर्वात्मना तात नेतुकामो यमक्षयम्
O best of kings, the weak-minded Shishupala desires with all his being to lead all these kings to the abode of Yama.
नूनमेतत्समादातुं पुनरिच्छत्यधोक्षजः। यदस्य शिशुपालस्य तेजस्तिष्ठति भारत
Surely, O Bharata, the Unmanifest One wishes again to take away the energy that remains in this Shishupala.
विप्लुता चास्य भद्रं ते बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतां वर। चेदिराजस्य कौन्तेय सर्वेषां च महीक्षितम्
The wisdom of the Chedi king, O best of the wise, and of all these rulers of the earth, has indeed been overthrown, O son of Kunti.
आदातुं च नरव्याघ्रो यं यमिच्छत्ययं तदा। तस्य विप्लवते बुद्धिरेवं चेदिपतेर्यथा
Whenever this tiger among men desires to take someone, then that person's understanding is confounded, just as it has been for the king of Chedi.
चतुर्विधानां भूतानां त्रिषु लोकेषु माधवः। प्रभवश्चैव सर्वेषां निधनं च युधिष्ठिर
O Yudhishthira, Madhava is the origin and end of all beings of four kinds in the three worlds.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा ततश्चेदिपतिर्नृपः। भीष्मं रूक्षाक्षरा वाचः श्रावयामास भारत
Hearing these words, O Bharata, the king of Chedi then addressed Bhishma with harsh and cutting speech.