शुचा परमया युक्तश्चिन्तयानः पराजयम्। वार्ष्णेयमब्रवीद्रजान्दृष्ट्वा भीष्मस्य विक्रमम्
Overcome with deep sorrow and reflecting on defeat, he spoke to Krishna, having witnessed Bhishma's valor.
कृष्ण पश्य महेष्वासं भीष्मं भीमपराक्रमम् । शरैर्दहन्तं सैन्यं मे ग्रीष्मे कक्षमिवानलम्
Krishna, look at Bhishma, the great archer, with the might of Bhima, burning my army with his arrows like fire scorches dry grass in summer.
कथमेनं महात्मानं शक्ष्यामः प्रतिवीक्षितुम् । लेलिह्यमानं सैन्यं मे हविष्मन्तमिवानलम्
How shall we withstand this great soul, who devours my army like fire consuming an offering?
एतं हि पुरुषव्याघ्रं धनुष्मन्तं महाबलम् । दृष्ट्वा विप्रद्रुर्त सैन्यं समरे मार्गणाहतम्
Seeing this tiger among men, armed with bow and of great strength, the army, struck by his arrows in battle, has been scattered and routed.
शक्यो जेतुं यमः क्रुद्धो वज्रपाणिश्च संयुगे । वरुणः पाशभृद्वापि कुबेरो वा गदाधरः
Even Yama in anger, or Indra with his thunderbolt, or Varuna with his noose, or Kubera with his mace, could be overcome in battle.
न तु भीष्मो महाजेताः शक्यो जेतुं महाबलः । सोऽहमेवं गते मग्नो भीष्मागाधजलेऽप्लुवे
But Bhishma, the mighty conqueror, cannot be vanquished; so, in this situation, I am sunk, unable to cross the deep waters of Bhishma.
आत्मनो बुद्धिदौर्बल्याद्भीष्ममासाद्य केशव । वनं यात्सामि वार्ष्णेय श्रेयो मे तत्र जीवितुम्
Because of my own weakness of judgment, O Keshava, having encountered Bhishma, I should go to the forest, O descendant of Vrishni; it would be better for me to live there.
न त्वेतान्पृथिवीपालान्दातुं भीष्माय मृत्यवे । क्षपयिष्यति सेनां मे कृष्ण भीष्मो महास्त्रवित्
But I cannot give these lords of the earth to Bhishma for death; Krishna, Bhishma, master of weapons, will destroy my army.
यथाऽनलं प्रज्वलितं पतङ्गाः समभिद्रुताः । विनाशायोपगच्छन्ति तथा मे सनिको जनः
Just as moths rush into blazing fire to their destruction, so too my troops, with their leaders, approach their end.
क्षयं नीतोऽस्मि वार्ष्णेय राज्यहेतोः पराक्रमी । भ्रातश्चैव मे वीराः कर्शिताः शरपीडिताः
I have been brought to ruin, O descendant of Vrishni, striving for the sake of the kingdom; and my heroic brothers have been tormented by arrows.
मत्कृते भ्रातृहार्देन राज्याद्भ्रष्टास्तथा सुखात्। जीवितं बहुमन्येऽहं जीवितं ह्यद्य दुर्लभम्
For my sake, deprived of the kingdom and happiness by the grief of a brother's death, I now consider life to be of great value—indeed, today life is hard to obtain.
जीवितस्य च शेषेण तपस्तप्स्यामि दुश्चरम् । न घातयिष्यामि रणे मित्राणीमानि केशव
With what remains of my life, I shall undertake severe austerities, O Keśava; I will not slay these friends of mine in battle.
रथान्मे बहुसाहस्रान्दिव्यैरस्त्रैर्महाबलः । घातयत्यनिशं भीष्मः प्रवराणां प्रहारिणाम्
Bhīṣma, mighty and armed with celestial weapons, destroys by night countless thousands of my chariots, the foremost of warriors.
किं नु कृत्वा हितं मे स्याद्ब्रूहि माधव माचिरम् । मध्यस्थमिव पश्यामि समरे सव्यसाचिनम्
What should I do that would be beneficial for me? Tell me without delay, Mādhava. In battle, I see Savyasācin standing as if neutral.
एको भीमः परं शक्त्या युध्यत्येव महाभुजः । केवलं बाहुवीर्येण क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मरन्
Bhīma alone, of immense arms and supreme strength, continues to fight, relying solely on the might of his arms and remembering the duty of a kṣatriya.
गदया वीरघातिन्या यथोत्साहं महामनाः । करोत्यसुकरं कर्म रथाश्वनरपङ्क्तिषु
With his heroic, deadly mace, that great-hearted one performs difficult deeds among the lines of chariots, horses, and men, as his enthusiasm allows.
नालमेष क्षयं कर्तुं परसैन्यस्य मारिष । आर्जवेनैव युद्धेन वीर वर्षशतैरपि
Yet, O Māriṣa, he alone is not able to destroy the enemy army, even with straightforward combat, not even in a hundred years.
एकोऽस्त्रवित्सखा तेऽयं सोऽप्यस्मान्समुपेक्षते । निर्दह्यमानान्भीष्मेण द्रोणेन च महात्मना
This one, your friend, is the only master of weapons, and even he overlooks us as we are being consumed by Bhīṣma and the great-souled Droṇa.
दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि भीष्मस्य द्रोणस्य च महात्मनः । धक्ष्यन्ति क्षत्रियान्सर्वान्प्रयुक्तानि पुनः पुनः
The divine weapons of Bhīṣma and the great-souled Droṇa will burn up all the kṣatriyas, being employed again and again.
कृष्ण भीष्मः सुसंरब्धः सहितः सर्वपार्थिवैः । क्षपयिष्यति नो नूनं यादृशोऽस्य पराक्रमः
O Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣma, greatly enraged and supported by all the kings, will surely destroy us, such is his prowess.
स त्वं पश्य महाभाग योगेश्वर महारथम् । भीष्मं यः शमयेत्संख्ये दावाग्निं जलदो यथा
Therefore, O greatly fortunate one, O lord of yoga, behold who among the great chariot-warriors can restrain Bhīṣma in battle, as a raincloud quenches a forest fire.
तव प्रसादाद्गोविन्द पाण्डवा निहतद्विषः । स्वराज्यमनुसंप्राप्ता मोदिष्यन्ते सबान्धवाः
By your grace, Govinda, the Pāṇḍavas, having slain their enemies, will regain their own kingdom and rejoice with their kinsmen.
एवमुक्त्वा ततः पार्थो ध्यान्नास्ते महामनाः । चिरमन्तर्मना भूत्वा शोकोपहतचेतनः
Having spoken thus, Pārtha, of great soul, sat in meditation, his mind long absorbed, his consciousness overcome by grief.
शोकार्तं तमथो ज्ञात्वा दुःखोपहतचेतसम् । अब्रवीत्तत्र गोविन्दो हर्षयन्सर्वपाण्डवान्
Then, knowing him to be afflicted with sorrow and his mind overwhelmed by pain, Govinda spoke there, cheering all the Pāṇḍavas.
माशुचो भरतश्रेष्ट न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि । यस्य ते भ्रातरः शूराः सर्वलोकेषु धन्विनःक
Do not grieve, best of the Bharatas; you have no cause for sorrow, for your brothers are heroes, renowned archers throughout the world.
अहं च प्रियकृद्राजन्सात्यकिश्च महायशाः । विराटद्रुपदौ चेमौ धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
I too, O king, am devoted to you, and so is Sātyaki of great fame; these two, Virāṭa and Drupada, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Pṛṣata, as well.
तथैव सबलाश्चेमे राजानो राजसत्तम। त्वत्प्रसादं प्रतीक्षन्ते त्वद्भक्ताश्च विशांपते
Likewise, these kings with their armies, O best of kings, and your devoted followers, all await your favor, O lord of men.
एष ते पार्षतो नित्यं हितकामः प्रिये रतः । सैनापत्यमनुप्राप्तो धृष्टद्युम्नो महाबलः
Here is Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Pṛṣata, ever wishing your welfare and devoted to your good, who has attained the command of the army, mighty in strength.
शिखण्डी च महाबाहो भीष्मस्य निधनं किल। एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो धर्मो धृष्टद्युम्नं महारथम् । अब्रवीत्समितौ तस्यां वासुदेवस्य श्रृण्वतः
And mighty-armed Shikhandi, it is said, was the cause of Bhishma's death. Hearing this, Dharma, in that assembly, spoke to the great charioteer Dhrishtadyumna, while Vasudeva listened.
धृष्टद्युम्न निबोधेदं यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि मारिष। नातिक्रम्यं भवेत्तच्च वचनं मम भाषितम्
Dhrishtadyumna, listen now to what I will tell you, O Marisha; my words must not be disregarded.