अष्टपञ्चाशतं राजन्विपुलत्वेन चानघ। श्रूयते परमोदारः पतगोऽसौ विभावसुः
The splendid bird Vibhāvasu is said to have a breadth of fifty-eight thousand, O king, and is renowned as supremely glorious.
एतत्प्रमाणमर्कस्य निर्दिष्टमिह भारत । स राहुश्छादयत्येतौ यथाकालं महात्तया
This is the measure of the sun that has been declared here, O Bhārata; and Rāhu covers these two at the proper time with his great form.
चन्द्रादित्यौ महाराज संक्षेपोऽयमुदाहृतः । इत्येतत्ते महाराज पृच्छतः शास्त्रचक्षुषा
The summary of the moon and sun, O great king, has been stated; thus, O great king, this has been explained to you, as you asked, with the eye of scripture.
सर्वमुक्तं यथातत्त्वं तस्माच्छममवाप्नुहि । यथोद्दिष्टं मया प्रोक्तं सनिर्माणमिदं जगत्
All has been told as it truly is; therefore, find peace. As I have described, so is this world with its forms.
तस्मादाश्वस कौरव्य पुत्रं दुर्योधनं प्रति। श्रुत्वेदं भरतश्रेष्ठ भूमिपर्व मनोनुगम्
Therefore, take heart, O son of Kuru, regarding your son Duryodhana; having heard this, O best of the Bharatas, you will find your mind at ease in this section concerning the earth.
श्रीमान्भवति राजन्यः सिद्धार्थः साधुसंमतः । आयुर्बलं च कीर्तिश्च तस्य तेजश्च वर्धते
A royal person becomes prosperous, accomplished, and esteemed by the virtuous; his lifespan, strength, fame, and brilliance all increase.
यः शृणोति महीपाल पर्वणीदं यतव्रतः । प्रीयन्ते पितरस्तस्य तथैव च पितामहाः
Whoever, O protector of the earth, listens to this section with discipline, his ancestors and grandfathers are pleased with him.
इदं तु भारतं वर्षं यत्र वर्तामहे वयम्। पूर्वैः प्रवर्तितं पुण्यं तत्सर्वं श्रुतवानसि
But this Bhārata land, where we now dwell, was established by the ancients as holy; all this you have now heard.
अथ गावल्गणिर्विद्वान्संयुगादेत्य भारत। प्रत्यक्षदर्शी सर्वस्य भूतभव्यभविष्यवित्
Then, O Bhārata, the learned Gāvalgaṇa, who perceives all directly and knows the past, present, and future, came from the battlefield.
ध्यायते धृतराष्ट्राय सहसोत्पत्य दुःखितः । आचष्ट निहतं भीष्मं भरतानां पितामहम्
Distressed, he quickly approached Dhṛtarāṣṭra in meditation and reported that Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Bhāratas, had been slain.
सञ्जयोऽहं महाराज नमस्ते भरतर्षभ। हतो भीष्मः शान्तनवो भरतानां पितामहः
O great king, I am Sañjaya. Salutations to you, bull among the Bhāratas. Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu and grandsire of the Bhāratas, has been killed.
ककुदं सर्वयोधानां धाम सर्वधनुष्मताम्। शरतल्पगतः सोऽद्य शेते कुरुपितामहः
The foremost among all warriors, the refuge of all archers, the grandsire of the Kurus, now lies upon a bed of arrows.
यस्य वीर्यं समाश्रित्य द्यूतं पुत्रस्तवाकरोत्। स शेते निहतो राजन्संख्ये भीष्मः शिखण्डिना
Relying on whose strength your son gambled, that Bhīṣma now lies slain in battle by Śikhaṇḍin, O king.
यः सर्वान्पृथिवीपालान्समवेतान्महामृधे । जिगायैकरथेनैव काशिपुर्यां महारथः
He who, alone in his chariot, defeated all the assembled kings of the earth in the great battle at Kāśī, that mighty car-warrior—
जामदग्न्यं रणे रामं योऽयुध्यदपसंभ्रमः । न हतो जामदग्न्येन स हतोऽद्य शिखण्डिना
He who fought fearlessly with Rāma, son of Jamadagni, in battle and was not slain by him, has today been killed by Śikhaṇḍin.
महेन्द्रसदृशः शौर्ये स्थैर्ये च हिमवानिव । समुद्र इव गाम्भीर्यो सहिष्णुत्वे धरासमः
In valor he was like Indra, in steadfastness like the Himalaya, in depth like the ocean, and in forbearance equal to the earth.
शरदंष्ट्रो धनुर्वक्रः खङ्गिजिह्वो दुरासदः। नरसिंहः पिता तेऽद्य पाञ्चाल्येन निपातितः
With teeth like autumn, a bow curved like a crescent, a sword for a tongue, and unconquerable, your father, the lion among men, has today been brought down by the son of Drupada.
पाण्डवानां महासैन्यं यं दृष्ट्वोद्यतमाहवे। प्रावेपत भयोद्विग्नं सिंह दृष्ट्वेव गोगणः
Seeing him rise in battle, the great army of the Pāṇḍavas trembled in fear, like a herd of cattle seeing a lion.
परिरक्ष्य स सेनां ते दशरात्रमनीकहा । जगामास्तमिवादित्यः कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्
Protecting your army for ten days, destroying hosts, he performed a most difficult deed and set like the sun.
यः स शक्र इवाक्षोभ्यो वर्षन्बाणान्सहस्रशः। जघान युधि योधानामर्बुदं दशभिर्दिनैः
Unshakable like Indra, showering thousands of arrows, he slew a crore of warriors in ten days of battle.
स शेते निहतो भूमौ वातभग्न इव द्रुमः। तव दुर्मन्त्रिते राजन्यथा नार्हः स भारत
He now lies slain on the ground, like a tree broken by the wind, O king, due to your misguided counsel, though he did not deserve such an end.
कथं कुरूणामृषभो हतो भीष्मः शिखण्डिना। कथं रथार्त्स न्यपतित्पिता मे वासवोपमः
How was Bhīṣma, the bull among the Kurus, slain by Śikhaṇḍin? How did my father, equal to Indra, fall from his chariot?
कथमाचक्ष्व मे योधा हीना भीष्मेण संजय । बलिना देवकल्पेन गुर्वर्थे ब्रह्मचारिणा
Tell me, Sañjaya, how the warriors, deprived of mighty Bhīṣma—who was like a god, powerful, and a celibate for the sake of his elders—fared.
तस्मिन्हते महाप्राज्ञे महेष्वासे महाबले । महासत्वे नरव्याघ्रे किमु आसीन्मनस्तव
When that great, wise, mighty-armed, powerful, steadfast, tiger among men was slain, what was your state of mind?
आर्तिं परामाविशति मनः शंससि मे हतम् । कुरूणामृषभं वीरमकम्पं पुरुषर्षभम्
You tell me that the bull among the Kurus, the steadfast, heroic, unshakable best of men, has been slain, and my mind is seized by the utmost anguish.
के तं यान्तमनुप्राप्ताः के वास्यसन्पुरोगमाः। केऽतिष्ठन्के न्यवर्तन्त केऽन्ववर्तन्त सञ्जय
Who approached him as he departed? Who went before him? Who stood still, who turned back, and who followed after, O Sañjaya?
के शूरा रथशार्दूलमद्भुतं क्षत्रियर्षभम् । तथाऽनीकं गाहमानं सहसा पृष्ठतोऽन्वयुः
Which heroes, O tiger among charioteers, followed from behind that wondrous bull among Kshatriyas, as he swiftly penetrated the array?
यस्तमोर्क इवापोहन्परसैन्यममित्रहा । सहस्ररश्मिप्रतिमः परेषां भयमादधत्
Who was that slayer of foes, who, like the sun dispelling darkness, struck terror into the enemy, his brilliance like a thousand rays?
अकरोद्दुष्करं कर्म रणे पाण्डुसुतेषु यः । ग्रसमानमनीकानि य एनं पर्यवारयन्
Who performed a deed difficult to accomplish in battle among the sons of Pandu, devouring the divisions, and whom did they surround to check him?
कृतिनं तं दुराधर्षं सञ्जयास्य त्वमन्तिके । कथं शान्तनवं युद्धे पाण्डवाः प्रत्यवारयन्
How did the Pandavas restrain in battle that accomplished and unassailable son of Shantanu, O Sanjaya, when he was near you?