धनञ्जय महाबाहो शिरो मे तात लम्बते। दीयतामुपधानं वै यद्युक्तमिह मन्यसे
O Dhananjaya, mighty-armed one, my head is drooping, dear one; if you think it proper here, please provide me a pillow.
समारोप्य महच्चापमभिवाद्य पितामहम्। नेत्राभ्यामश्रुपूर्णाभ्यामिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Placing his great bow aside and bowing to the grandsire, with eyes filled with tears, he spoke these words:
आज्ञापय कुरुश्रेष्ठ सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वर। प्रेष्योऽहं तव दुर्धर्ष क्रियतां किं पितामह
Command me, best of the Kurus, foremost among all wielders of weapons; I am your servant, O unconquerable one—what shall I do, grandsire?
तमब्रवीच्छान्तनवः शिरो मे तात लम्बते । `दीयतामुपधानं मे यद्युक्तमिह मन्यसे' उपधानं कुरुश्रेष्ठ उपधेहि ममार्जुन
Shantanava said to him: 'My head is drooping, dear one; if you think it proper here, provide me a pillow, O best of the Kurus, set one for me, Arjuna.'
वीरशय्यानुरूपं वै शीघ्रं वीर प्रयच्छ मे । त्वं हि पार्थ समर्थो वै श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम्
Give me quickly, hero, a pillow suitable for a warrior's bed; for you, Partha, are indeed capable, the best among all archers.
क्षत्रधर्मस्य वेत्ता च बुद्धिसत्वगुणान्वितः । फल्गुनोऽपि तथेत्युक्त्वा व्यवसायं परंजयः
You know the duties of a kshatriya and are endowed with wisdom and noble qualities; Phalguna, having said 'so be it,' resolute, prepared himself.
गृह्यानुमन्त्र्य गाण्डीवं शरान्सन्नतपर्वणः । अनुमान्य महात्मानं भरतानां महारथम्
Taking up the Gandiva and arrows with well-feathered shafts, and having saluted the great-souled, mighty car-warrior of the Bharatas,
त्रिभिस्तीक्ष्णैर्महावेगैरुदगृह्णाच्छिरः शरैः । अभिप्राये तु विदिते धर्मात्मा स्वयसाचिना
With three sharp, swift arrows, he supported the head; understanding the intention, the righteous Savyasacin did so.
अतुष्यद्भरतश्रेष्ठो भीष्मो धर्मार्थतत्त्ववित् । उपधानेन दत्तेन प्रत्यनन्दद्धनञ्जयम्
Bhishma, best of the Bharatas and knower of righteousness and its essence, was pleased with the pillow given and expressed his approval to Dhananjaya.
प्राह सर्वान्समुद्वीक्ष्य भरतान्भारतं प्रति। कुन्तीपुत्रं युधां श्रेष्ठं सुहृदां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
Looking at all the Bharatas, he spoke regarding the son of Kunti, Yudhishthira, foremost of warriors, increaser of his friends' joy.
शयनस्यानुरूपं मे पाण्डवोपहितं त्वया। यद्यन्यथा प्रपद्येथाः शपेयं त्वामहं पुरा
The bed you have provided, Pandava, is fitting for me; if you had acted otherwise, I would have cursed you before.
एवमेव महाबाहो धर्मेषु परितिष्ठता। स्वप्तव्यं क्षत्रियेणाजौ शरतल्पगतेन वै
Indeed, mighty-armed one, one who abides in righteousness should sleep thus; a kshatriya lying on a bed of arrows in battle must rest in this way.
एवमुक्त्वा तु बीभत्सुं सर्वांस्तानब्रवीद्वचः । राज्ञश्च राजपुत्रांश्च पाण्डवैरभिसंवृतान्
Having spoken thus to Bhimasena, he addressed all those kings and princes gathered with the Pandavas:
पश्यध्वमुपधानं मे पाणडवेनाभिसन्धितम् । शयेयमस्यां शय्यायां यावदावर्तनं रवेः
Behold the pillow arranged for me by the Pandava; I shall lie on this bed until the sun turns back on its course.
ये तदा धारयिष्यन्ति ते च प्रेक्ष्यन्ति मां नृपाः। दिशं वैश्रवणाक्रान्तां यदा गन्ता दिवाकरः
Those who will support me then, and those kings who will witness me, when the sun goes to the region ruled by Vaishravana,
नूनं सप्ताश्वयुक्तेन रथेनोत्तमतेजसा । रक्ष्येऽहं वै मम प्राणान्सुहृदः सुप्रियानिव
Surely, with the chariot yoked to seven horses and of supreme brilliance, I shall protect my life as one would their most beloved friends.
परिखाः खन्यतामत्र ममावसदने नृपाः । उपासिष्ये विवस्वन्तमेवं शरशताचितः । उपारमध्वं संग्रामाद्वैरमुत्सृज्य पार्थिवाः
Let moats be dug here at my resting place, O kings; I shall await the sun, lying thus on a bed of arrows. Cease the battle, O rulers, abandoning enmity.
उपातिष्ठन्नथो वैद्याः शल्योद्धरणकोविदाः। सर्वोपकरणैर्युक्ताः कुशलैः साधुशिक्षिताः
Then physicians skilled in extracting arrows, equipped with all instruments, well-trained and expert, attended upon him.
तान्दृष्ट्वा जाह्नवीपुत्रः प्रोवाच तनयं तव । दत्तदेया विसृज्यन्तां पूजयित्वा चिकित्सकाः
Seeing them, the son of Jahnavi spoke to your son: Let the gifts due to physicians be given, after honoring them, let them depart.
एवंगते मयेदानीं वैद्यैः कार्यमिहास्ति किम्। क्षत्रधर्मे प्रशस्तां हि प्राप्तोऽस्मि परमां गतिम्
With things thus, what need have I now for physicians here? For I have attained the highest state praised in the warrior's duty.
नैष धर्मो महीपालाः शरतल्पगतस्य मे । एभिरेव शरैश्चाहं दग्धव्योऽग्नौ नराधिपाः
This is not the proper conduct, O kings, for one lying upon a bed of arrows; with these very arrows, O rulers of men, I must be burned in fire.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव। वैद्यान्विसर्जयामास पूजयित्वा यथार्हतः
Hearing his words, your son Duryodhana dismissed the physicians, having honored them as was fitting.
ततस्ते विस्मयं जग्मुर्नानाजनपदेश्वराः । स्थितिं धर्मे परां दृष्ट्वा भीष्मस्यामिततेजसः
Then the lords of many lands were struck with wonder, seeing Bhishma of immeasurable energy established in supreme righteousness.
उपधानं ततो दत्त्वा पितुस्ते मनुजेश्वराः । सहिताः पाण्डवाः सर्वे कुरवश्च महारथाः
Then, after placing a cushion for your father, all the Pandavas together with the mighty Kurus assembled.
उपगम्य महात्मानं शयानं शयने शुभे
Approaching the great-souled one, lying upon his splendid bed,
तेऽभिवाद्य ततो भीष्मं कृत्वा च त्रिःप्रदक्षिणम्। विधाय रक्षां भीष्मस्य सर्व एव समन्ततः
They then saluted Bhishma, circumambulated him three times, and arranged protection for Bhishma on all sides.
वीराः स्वशिबिराण्येव ध्यायन्तः परमातुराः । निवेशायाभ्युपागच्छन्सायाह्ने रुधिरोक्षिताः
The warriors, deeply afflicted, returned to their own camps in the evening, stained with blood, lost in thought.
निविष्टान्पाण्डवांश्चैव प्रीयमाणान्महारथान् । भीष्मस्य पतनं दृष्ट्वा उपगम्य महाबलः
The mighty one, seeing the Pandavas and the honored great chariot-warriors settled, approached after witnessing Bhishma's fall.
उवाच माधवः काले धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । दिष्ट्या जयसि कौरव्य दिष्ट्या भीष्मो निपातितः
Madhava then spoke at the right moment to Dharmaputra Yudhishthira: By fortune you are victorious, O Kaurava; by fortune Bhishma has been struck down.
अवध्यो मानुषैरेव सत्यसन्धो महारथः । अथवा दैवतैः सार्धं सर्वशास्त्रस्य पारगः
He was invincible to men, truthful, a great chariot-warrior; or even together with the gods, he was master of all scriptures.