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?
निकृन्तन्तमनीकानि शरदंष्ट्रं मनस्विनम् । चापव्यात्ताननं घोरमसिजिह्वं दुरासदम्
How did they withstand him, fierce-minded, with arrows for teeth, dreadful as a devouring tongue, his face opened wide with the bow, cutting down the ranks?
अनर्हं पुरुषव्याघ्रं ह्रीमन्तमपराजितम् । पातयामास कौन्तेयः कथं तमजितं युधि
How did the son of Kunti bring down in battle that undefeated, modest, and worthy tiger among men, who was not fit to fall?
उग्रधन्वानमुग्रेषुं वर्तमानं रथोत्तमे । परेषामुत्तमाङ्गानि प्रचिन्वन्तमथेषुभिः
How did they confront him, wielding a mighty bow and fierce arrows, standing on a superb chariot, striking the heads of the foremost among the enemy with his shafts?
पाण्डवानां महत्सैन्यं यं दृष्ट्वोद्यतमाहवे । कालाग्निमिव दुर्धर्षं समचेष्टत नित्यशः
Seeing that great army of the Pandavas raised for battle, he moved among them constantly, like irresistible death-fire.
परिकृष्य स सेनां तु दशरात्रमनीकहा । दगामास्तमिवादित्यः कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्
Having drawn the army for ten nights, that destroyer of divisions performed a most difficult deed, burning like the sun at day's end.
यः स शक्र इवाक्षय्यं वर्षं शरमयं क्षिपन् । जघान युधि योधानामर्बुदं दशभिर्दिनैः
Who, like Indra, showered an inexhaustible rain of arrows, and in ten days struck down a crore of warriors in battle?
स शेते निहतो भूमौ वातभुग्न इव द्रुमः । मम दुर्मन्त्रितेनाजौ यथा नार्हति भारतः
He now lies slain on the earth, like a tree broken by the wind, because of my misguided counsel, O Bharata, as he did not deserve.
कथं शान्तनवं दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवानामनीकिनी । प्रहर्तुमशकत्तत्र भीष्मं भीमपराक्रमम्
How, seeing Shantanu's son, did the Pandava army there fail to strike Bhishma, whose valor was like that of Bhima?
कथं भीष्मेण संग्रामं प्राकुर्वन्पाण्डुनन्दनाः। कथं च नाजयद्भीष्मो द्रोणे जीवति सञ्जय
How did the sons of Pandu wage battle with Bhishma, and how did Bhishma not achieve victory while Drona was still alive, O Sanjaya?
कृपे सन्निहिते तत्र भरद्वाजात्मजे तथा। भीष्मः प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठः कथं स निधनं गतः
With Kripa present there, and the son of Bharadvaja as well, how did Bhishma, the foremost of warriors, meet his end?
कथं चातिरथस्तेन पाञ्चाल्येन शिखण्डिना। भीष्मो विनिहतो युद्धे देवैरपि दुरासदः
How was Bhishma, unconquerable even by the gods, slain in battle by that great chariot-warrior, the Panchala prince Shikhandin?
यः स्पर्धते रणे नित्यं जामदग्न्यं महाबलम् । अजितं जामदग्न्येन शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमम्
He who always rivaled the mighty son of Jamadagni in battle, who was undefeated even by Parashurama, and whose valor equaled Indra's—
तं हतं समरे भीष्मं महारथकुलोदितम् । सञ्जयाचक्ष्व मे वीरं येन शर्म न विद्महे
Tell me, Sanjaya, how that heroic Bhishma, the foremost of great chariot-warriors, was slain in battle, for we find no peace.
मामकाः के महेष्वासा नाजहुः सञ्जयाच्युतम् । दुर्योधनसमादिष्टाः के वीराः पर्यवारयन्
Which of my great bowmen did not abandon Achyuta, O Sanjaya, and which heroes, commanded by Duryodhana, surrounded him?
यच्छिखण्डिमुखाः सर्वे पाण्डवा भीष्ममभ्ययुः । कच्चित्ते कुरवः सर्वे नाजहुः सञ्जयाच्युतम्
When all the Pandavas, with shattered armor, approached Bhishma, Sanjaya, I ask you: did all the Kauravas not abandon Krishna?
अश्मसारमयं नूनं हृदयं मुदृढं मम। यच्छ्रुत्वा पुरुषव्याघ्रं हतं भीष्मं न दीर्यते
Surely my heart is made of stone, firm and unyielding, for though I hear that the tiger among men, Bhishma, has been slain, it does not break.
यस्मिन्सत्यं च मेधा च नीतिश्च भरतर्षभे । अप्रमेयाणि दुर्धर्षे कथं स निहतो युधि
He in whom truth, wisdom, and policy resided—this bull among the Bharatas, immeasurable and invincible—how was he struck down in battle?
मौर्वीघोषस्तनयुत्नुः पृषत्कपृषतो महान् । धनुर्ह्रादमहाशब्दो महामेघ इवोन्नतः
The great twang of the bowstring, the thunderous clash of arrows upon arrows, the deep sound of the bow—loud as a towering storm cloud—
योऽभ्यवर्षत कौन्तेयान्सपाञ्चालान्ससृञ्जयान्। निघ्नन्परथान्वीरो दानवानिव वज्रभृत्
He who rained arrows upon the sons of Kunti, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas, striking down enemy chariots like the wielder of the thunderbolt slaying demons—
इष्वस्त्रसागरं घोरं बाणग्रहं दुरासदम् । कार्मुकोर्मिणमक्षय्यमद्वीपं चलमप्लवम्
That ocean of weapons and missiles, dreadful and hard to withstand, whose waves were arrows, unfathomable, without islands, ever-moving, and without refuge—