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?
बाला यूयं न जानीध्वं धर्मसूक्ष्मं विहङ्गमाः। धर्मं यः कुरुते लोके सततं शुभबुद्धिना। न चायुषोऽन्ते स्वं देहं त्यक्त्वा स्वर्गं स गच्छति
You are young and do not know the subtlety of dharma, O birds; one who always practices dharma in the world with pure intent, at the end of his life, after leaving his body, does not go to heaven.
तथाऽहमपि च त्यक्त्वा काले देहमिमं द्विजाः। स्वर्गलोकं गमिष्यामि इयं धर्मस्य वै गतिः
So too, when I leave this body at the proper time, O twice-born, I will go to the heavenly world; this is indeed the path of dharma.
एवं धर्मकथां चक्रे स हंसः पक्षिणां भृशम्। पक्षिणः शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं धर्ममेव ते
Thus the swan spoke extensively of dharma to the birds; and the birds, O Bhishma, always listened only to dharma.
अथास्य भक्ष्यमाजह्रुः समुद्रजलचारिणः। अण्डजा भीष्म तस्यान्ये धर्मार्थमिति शुश्रुम
Then, those egg-born who dwell in the ocean waters brought him food, O Bhishma, as we have heard, for the sake of dharma.
ते च तस्य समभ्याशे निक्षिप्याण्डानि सर्वशः। समुद्राम्भस्यमोदन्त चरन्तो भीष्म पक्षिणः
And they placed their eggs near him, all together; while the birds, O Bhishma, moved about joyfully in the ocean waters.
तेषामण्डानि सर्वेषां भक्षयामास पापकृत्। स हंसः सम्प्रमत्तानामप्रमत्तः स्वकर्मणि
The sinful swan ate all their eggs, being attentive to his own actions while the others were careless.
ततः प्रक्षीयमाणेषु तेषु तेष्वण्डजोऽपरः। अशङ्कत महाप्राज्ञः स कदाचिद्ददर्श ह
Then, as those eggs were being destroyed, another bird hatched from an egg; the wise one became anxious, and at some time he saw this.
ततः सङ्कथयामास दृष्ट्वा हंसस्य किल्बिषम्। तेषां परमदुःखार्तः स पक्षी सर्वपक्षिणाम्
Then, seeing the sin of the swan, that bird, afflicted with great sorrow for them, began to speak.
ततः प्रत्यक्षतो दृष्ट्वा पक्षिणस्ते समीपगाः। निजघ्नस्तं तदा हंसं मिथ्यावृत्तं कुरूद्वह
Then, seeing directly the swan's wrongful conduct, the birds nearby struck down that swan, O descendant of the Kurus.
एवं त्वां हंसधर्माणमपीमे वसुधाधिपाः। निहन्युर्भीष्म सङ्क्रुद्धाः पक्षिणस्तं यथाण्डजम्
In this way, Bhishma, even these kings of the earth, angered, might slay you, who follow the dharma of the swan, just as those birds killed that egg-born one.