भुक्तमेतेन बह्वन्नं क्रीडता नगमूर्धनि। इति ते भीष्ण शृण्वानाः परे विस्मयमागताः
This one has eaten much food while playing on the summit of the mountain—so they say, Bhishma; and others, hearing this, were struck with wonder.
यस्य चानेन धर्मज्ञ भुक्तमन्नं बलीयसः। स चानेन हतः कंस इत्येतत्तु बलीयसः
And, O knower of righteousness, whoever has eaten food with him, the mighty one, he too has been slain by him—thus it is said of the mighty one.
स चानेन हतः कंस इत्येतत्तु महाद्भुतम्।। न ते श्रुतमिदं भीष्म नूनं कथयतां सताम्
He too was slain by him—thus is the wondrous tale; surely, Bhishma, you have not heard this among the stories told by the virtuous.
यद्वक्ष्ये त्वामधर्मज्ञं वाक्यं कुरुकुलाधम।। स्त्रीषु गोषु न शस्त्राणि पातयेद्ब्राह्मणेषु च
What I will say to you, O knower of unrighteousness, O disgrace of the Kuru line, is this: one must not cast weapons upon women, cows, or Brahmins.
इति सन्तोऽनुशासन्ति सञ्जना धर्मिणः सदा। भीष्म लोके हि तत्सर्वं वितथं त्वयि दृश्यते
Thus the virtuous always instruct, O Bhishma, and the righteous speak accordingly; yet, in you, all this is seen to be false in the world.
ज्ञानवृद्धं च वृद्धं च भूयांसं केशवं मम। अजानत इवाख्यासि संस्तुवन्कौरवाधम
You speak of Keshava, who is both wise and aged, and greater than all, as if you did not know him, praising him, O disgrace of the Kauravas.
गोघ्रः स्त्रीघ्नश्च सन्भीष्म त्वद्वाक्याद्यदि पूज्यते। एवम्भूतश्च यो भीष्म कथं संस्तवमर्हति
If, Bhishma, a killer of cows and women is to be honored because of your words, then how can such a one, Bhishma, deserve praise?
असौ मतिमतां श्रेष्ठो य एष जगतः प्रभुः। सम्भावयति चाप्येवं त्वद्वाक्याच्च जनार्दनः। एवमेतत्सर्वमिति तत्सर्वं वितथं ध्रुवम्
This one, the best among the wise, the lord of the world, is thus regarded—even so, Janardana, because of your words; yet all this is certainly false.
आत्मानमात्मनाऽऽधातुं यदि शक्तो जनार्दनः। अकामयन्तं तं भीष्म कथं साध्विव पश्यसि
If Janardana is able to establish himself by his own self, Bhishma, how do you see him as virtuous, when he does not desire it?
न गाथा गाथिनं शास्ति बहुचेदपि गायति। प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि कुलिङ्गशकुनिर्यथा
A song does not instruct the singer, even if he sings many songs; beings follow their own nature, just as a bird follows its kind.
नूनं प्रकृतिरेषा ते जघन्या नात्र संशयटः। `नदीसुतत्वात्ते चित्तं चञ्चलं न स्थिरं स्मृतम्
Surely, this is your lowly nature—there is no doubt of it; because you are the son of a river, your mind is restless and not steady, it is said.
अतः पापीयसी चैषां पाण्डवानामपीष्यते। येषामर्च्यतमः कृष्णस्त्वं च येषां प्रदर्शकः
Therefore, a greater sin is also attributed to these Pandavas, for whom Krishna is most revered, and you are their guide.
धर्मवांस्त्वमधर्मज्ञः सतां मार्गादवप्लुतः। को हि धर्मिणमात्मानं जानञ्ज्ञानविदां वरः
You, knower of unrighteousness, are called righteous, but you have deviated from the path of the virtuous; for who, knowing himself to be righteous and wise, would act as you have done?
कुर्याद्यथा त्वया भीषम कृतं धर्ममवेक्षता। चेत्त्वं धर्मं विजानासि यदि प्राज्ञा मतिस्तव
Who would act as you have done, Bhishma, while considering righteousness, if you truly know righteousness and possess wisdom and understanding?
अन्यकामा हि धर्मज्ञा कन्यका प्राज्ञमानिना। अम्बा नामेति भद्रं ते कथं साऽपहृता त्वया
For the maiden, knowing righteousness, desired another, and you, thinking yourself wise, Bhishma, took Amba—how could you have done so?
तां त्वयाऽपहृतां भीष्म कन्यां नैषितवान्नृपः। भ्राता विचित्रवीर्यस्ते सतां मार्गमनुस्मरन्
The maiden whom you took, Bhishma, was not sought by the king, your brother Vichitravirya, who remembered the path of the virtuous.
भार्ययोर्यस्य चान्येन मिषतः प्राज्ञमानिनः। तव जातान्यपत्यानि सज्जनाचरिते पथि
And the children born to another's wives, while you, thinking yourself wise, looked on—these are your offspring, on the path practiced by the virtuous.
को हि धर्मोऽस्ति ते भीषम ब्रह्मचर्यमिदं वृथा। यद्धारयसि मोहाद्वा क्लीबत्वाद्वा न संशयः
What righteousness is there for you, Bhishma? This vow of celibacy is in vain, whether you maintain it out of delusion or out of impotence—there is no doubt.
न त्वं तव धर्मज्ञ पश्याम्युपचरं क्वचित्। न हि ते सेविता वृद्धा य एवं धर्ममब्रवीः
I do not see you, O knower of righteousness, ever practicing it anywhere; nor have you served the elders, as you speak of dharma thus.
इष्टं दत्तमधीतं च यज्ञाश्च बहुदक्षिणाः। सर्वमेतदपत्यस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
Worship, gifts, study, and sacrifices with abundant offerings—all these do not equal even a sixteenth part of having offspring.
व्रतोपवासैर्बहुभिः कृतं भवति भीष्म यत्। सर्वं तदनपत्यस्य मोघं भवति निश्चयात्
All that is accomplished by many vows and fasts, O Bhishma, becomes futile for one without children, certainly.
सोऽनपत्यश्च वृद्धश्च मिथ्याधर्मानुशासनात्। हंसवत्त्वमपीदानीं ज्ञातिभ्यः प्राप्नुया वधम्
Thus, being childless and aged, due to false instruction on dharma, you may now, like the swan, incur death at the hands of your kin.
एवं हि कथयन्त्यन्ये नरा ज्ञानविदः पुरा। भीष्म यत्तदहं सम्यग्वक्ष्यामि तव शृण्वतः
So spoke others of old, wise men, O Bhishma; what they said I will now properly recount to you as you listen.
वृद्धः किल समुद्रान्ते कश्चिद्धंसोऽभवत्पुरा। धर्मवागन्यथावृत्तः पक्षिणः सोऽनुशास्ति च
Once, at the edge of the ocean, there was an aged swan, speaking of dharma but acting otherwise, who instructed the birds.
धर्म चरत माऽधर्ममिति तस्य वचः किल। पक्षिणः शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं धर्मवादिनः
‘Practice righteousness, avoid unrighteousness’—such were his words, O Bhishma, which the birds, always fond of dharma, continually heard.
हंसस्य तु वचः श्रुत्वा मुदिताः सर्वपक्षिणः। ऊचुश्चैव स्वगा हंसं परिवार्य च सर्वशः
Hearing the swan’s words, all the birds rejoiced; gathering around him, they addressed the swan in their own language.
कथयस्व भवान्सर्वं पक्षिणां तु समासतः। को हि नाम द्विजश्रेष्ठ ब्रूहि नो धर्म उत्तमः
Please tell us everything, O best of the twice-born, to all the birds assembled; who indeed, tell us, knows the highest dharma?
प्रजास्वहिंसा धर्मो वै हिंसाऽधर्मः खगव्रजाः। एतदेवानुबोद्धव्यं धर्माधर्मः समासतः
Among creatures, non-injury is dharma, injury is adharma, O flock of birds; this alone should be understood, in brief, as dharma and adharma.
वृद्धहंसवचः श्रुत्वा पक्षिणस्ते सुसंहिताः। ऊचुश्च धर्मलुब्धास्ते स्मयमाना इवाण्डजाः
Hearing the aged swan’s words, the birds, well gathered, spoke, eager for dharma, smiling as if they were egg-born.
धर्मं यः कुरुते नित्यं लोके धीरतरोऽण्डजः। स यत्र गच्छेद्धर्मात्मा तन्मे ब्रूहीह तत्त्वतः
The bird who always practices dharma in the world is wiser; wherever such a righteous one goes, tell us truly, what is his destination?