सैनामथाब्रवीद्राजन्कृताञ्जलिरनिन्दिता भीष्मेण समरे रामो निर्जितश्चारुलोचनि
Sena then replied, O king, blameless, with joined palms: 'Rama was defeated by Bhishma in battle, O beautiful-eyed one.'
कोऽन्यस्तमुत्सहेञ्जेतुमुद्यतेषुं महीपतिः । साहं भीष्मविनाशाय तपस्तप्स्ये सुदारुणम्
What other king could dare to conquer him when he has taken up arms? Therefore, for Bhishma's destruction, I shall perform severe austerities.
विचरामि महीं देवि यथा हन्यामहं नृपम् । एतद्व्रतफलं देवि परमस्मिन्यथा हि मे
I wander the earth, O goddess, so that I may slay that king; this is the fruit of my vow, O goddess, as I desire.
ततोऽब्रवीत्सागरगा जिह्मं चरसि भामिनि। नैष कामोऽनवद्याङ्गि शक्यः प्राप्तुं त्वयाऽबले
Then the river-goddess spoke: 'You act crookedly, O radiant one; this wish, O flawless-limbed, cannot be attained by you, O weak one.'
यदि भीष्मविनाशाय काश्ये चरसि वै व्रतम्। व्रतस्था च शरीरं त्वं यदि नाम विमोक्ष्यसि
If you undertake this vow for Bhishma's destruction, and should you abandon your body while steadfast in your vow—
नदी भविष्यसि शुभे कुटिला वार्षिकोदका। दुस्तीर्था न तु विज्ञेया वार्षिकी नाष्टमासिकी
You will become a river, O auspicious one, winding, with waters only in the rainy season, difficult to cross; you will not be known as perennial, but only as seasonal.
भीमग्राहवती घोरा सर्वभूतभयंकरी । एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्काशिकन्यां न्यवर्तत
Like a river with a terrible current, dreadful and causing fear to all beings—having spoken thus, O King, the princess of Kashi turned back.
माता मम महाभागा स्मयमानेव भामिनी । कदाचिदष्टमे मासि कदाचिद्दशमे तथा। न प्राश्नीतोदकमपि पुनः सा वरवर्णिनी
My blessed mother, radiant and smiling, sometimes in the eighth month, sometimes in the tenth, did not even drink water again, O beautiful one.
सा वत्सभूमिं कौरव्य तीर्थलोभात्ततस्ततः । पतिता परिधावन्ती पुनः काशिपतेः सुता
That daughter of the king of Kashi, driven by desire for holy places, wandered here and there, running along the land of the Vatsas.
सा नदी वत्सभूम्यां तु प्रथिताम्बेति भारत । वार्षिकी ग्राहबहुला दुस्तीर्था कुटिला तथा
That river, O Bharata, became known as Ambā in the land of the Vatsas—swollen in the rainy season, full of crocodiles, difficult to ford, and winding.
सा कन्या तपसा तेन देहार्धेन व्यजायत । नदी च राजन्वत्सेषु कन्या चैवाभवत्तदा
By that austerity, half her body became a maiden, and half a river among the Vatsas, O King; thus she was both a river and a maiden at that time.
ततस्ते तापसाः सर्वे तपसे धृतनिश्चयाम्। दृष्ट्वा न्यवर्तयंस्तात किं कार्यमिति चाब्रुवन्
Then all the ascetics, firm in their vows of austerity, seeing her, withdrew and asked, 'What should be done?'
तानुवाच ततः कन्या तपोवृद्धानृषींस्तदा । निराकृतास्मि भीष्मेण भ्रंशिता पतिधर्मतः
Then that maiden spoke to those ascetics, grown powerful in austerity: 'I have been rejected by Bhishma and deprived of the duties of a wife.'
वधार्थं तस्य दीक्षा मे न लोकार्थं तपोधनाः । निहत्य भीष्मं गच्छेयं शान्तिमित्येव निश्चयः
'My vow is for his destruction, not for worldly purposes, O possessors of austerity. My resolve is only this: having slain Bhishma, I shall attain peace.'
यत्कृते दुःखवसतिमिमां प्राप्तऽस्मि शाश्वतीम् । पतिलोकाद्विहीना च नैव स्त्री न पुमानिह
'For the sake of which I have come to this perpetual abode of sorrow—deprived of the world of husbands, I am neither woman nor man here.'
नाहत्वा युधि गाङ्गेयं निवर्तिष्ये तपोधनाः । एष मे हृदि संकल्पो यदिदं कथितं मया
'Without slaying the son of Ganga in battle, I shall not turn back, O possessors of austerity. This is my resolve in my heart, as I have spoken.'
स्त्रीभावे परिनिर्विण्णा पुंस्त्वार्थे कृतनिश्चया । भीष्मे प्रतिचिकीर्षामि नास्मि वार्येति वै पुनः
'Disgusted with womanhood, I am firmly resolved to obtain manhood. I wish to act against Bhishma; I shall not be restrained again.'
तां देवो दर्शयामास शूलपाणिरुमापतिः । मध्ये तेषां महार्षीणां स्वेन रूपेण तापसीम्
Then the god Shiva, the wielder of the trident, the husband of Uma, revealed himself to her in his own form among those great sages, as she practiced austerity.
छन्द्यमाना वरेणाथ सा वव्रे मत्पराजयम् । हनिष्यसीति तां देवः प्रत्युवाच मनस्विनीम्
When offered a boon, she chose my defeat; and the god said to that resolute woman, 'You shall slay him.'
ततः सा पुनरेवाथ कन्या रुद्रमुवाच ह। उपपद्येत्कथं देव स्त्रिया युधि जयो मम
Then again that maiden spoke to Rudra: 'How, O god, can victory in battle come to me, a woman?'
स्त्रीभावेन च मे गाढं मनः शान्तमुमापते । प्रतिश्रुतश्च भूतेश त्वया भीष्मपराजयः
'My mind is deeply at peace in womanhood, O Lord of Uma; yet you, Lord of beings, have promised Bhishma's defeat.'
यथा स सत्यो भवति तथा कुरु वृषध्वज । यथा हन्यां समागम्य भीष्मं शान्तनवं युधि
'Let that promise be fulfilled, O bull-bannered one, so that I may slay Bhishma, son of Shantanu, in battle.'
तामुवाच महादेवः कन्यां किल वृषध्वजः । न मे वागमृतं प्राह सत्यं भद्रे भविष्यसि
Then Mahadeva, the bull-bannered one, said to the maiden: 'My word is never false; you shall indeed succeed, O blessed one.'
हनिष्यसि रणे भीष्मं पुरुषत्वं च लप्स्यति ।। स्मरिष्यसि च तत्सर्वं देहमन्यं गता सती
'You shall slay Bhishma in battle, and you will obtain manhood. You will remember all this when you have taken another body.'
द्रुपदस्य कुले जाता भविष्यसि महारथः। शीघ्रास्त्रश्चित्रयोधी च भविष्यसि सुसंमतः
Born in the line of Drupada, you will become a great chariot-warrior, swift with weapons, a remarkable fighter, and highly esteemed.
यथोक्तमेव कल्याणि सर्वमेतद्भविष्यति। भविष्यसि पुमान्पश्चात्कस्माच्चित्कालपर्ययात्
O blessed one, all this shall come to pass just as I have said; after some time, you will become a man.
एवमुक्त्वा महादेवः कपर्दी वृषभध्वजः। पश्यतामेव विप्राणां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having spoken thus, Mahadeva, the matted-haired, bull-bannered god, vanished there itself before the eyes of the brahmins.
ततः सा पश्यतां तेषां महर्षीणामनिन्दिता । समाहृत्य वनात्तस्मात्काष्ठानि वरवर्णिनी
Then she, faultless among women, gathered wood from the forest as the great sages looked on.
चितां कृत्वा सुमहतीं प्रदाय च हुताशनम् । प्रदीप्तेऽग्नौ महाराज रोषदीप्तेन चेतसा
She built a great funeral pyre, offered it to the blazing fire, and, with a mind inflamed by anger, O King, entered the fire.
उक्त्वा भीष्मवधायेति प्रविवेश हुताशनम् । ज्येष्ठा काशिसुता राजन्यमुनामभितो नदीम्
Declaring, 'This is for the slaying of Bhishma,' the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi entered the fire on the banks of the Yamuna, as the royal sages watched.