त्वं हि पुत्र कुलस्यास्य ज्येष्ठः श्रेष्ठश्च भारत। यथा च ते पितुर्वाक्यं मम कार्यं तथाऽनघ
You, O Bhārata, are the eldest and best of this lineage; just as you obey your father's words, so too fulfill my request, O sinless one.
मम पुत्रस्तव भ्राता यवीयान्सुप्रियश्च ते। बाल एव गतः स्वर्गं भारतो भरतर्षभ
My son, your younger brother, dearly beloved to you, has departed for heaven while still a child, O bull among the Bharatas.
इमे महिष्यौ तस्येह काशिराजसुते उभे। रूपयौवनसंपन्ने पुत्रकामे च भारत
Here are both wives of the son of the king of Kashi, O Bharata, endowed with beauty and youth, and desiring sons.
धर्म्यमेतत्परं ज्ञात्वा सन्तानाय कुलस्य च। आभ्यां मम नियोगात्तु धर्मं चरितुमर्हसि
Knowing this to be the highest righteousness for the continuation of the lineage, you ought to act according to my instruction with these two, for the sake of dharma.
असंशयं परो धर्मस्त्वयाः मातः प्रकीर्तितः। त्वमप्येतां प्रतिज्ञां तु वेत्थ या मयि वर्तते
Mother, you have spoken of the supreme dharma without doubt; you also know the vow that binds me.
अमरत्वस्य वा हेतोस्त्रैलोक्यसदनस्य वा। उत्सृजेयमहं प्राणान्न तु सत्यं कथंचन
For the sake of immortality or the abode of the three worlds, I would abandon my life, but never truth, under any circumstance.
जानामि त्वयि धर्मज्ञ सत्यं सत्यपराक्रम। इच्छंस्त्वमिह लोकांस्त्रीन्सृजेरन्यानरिन्दम
I know you to be righteous, steadfast in truth and valor; if you wish, you could create the three worlds here, O best of kings.
यथा तु नः कुलं चैव धर्मश्च न पराभवेत्। सुहृदश्च प्रहृष्टाः स्युस्तथा त्वं कर्तुमर्हसि
You should act so that our lineage and dharma are not defeated, and our friends are delighted.
त्वमेव कुलवृद्धासि गौरवं तु परं त्वयि। सोपायं कुलसन्ताने वक्तुमर्हसि नः परम्
You alone are the elder of the lineage, and the highest honor rests with you; you ought to declare to us the proper means for the continuation of the family.
स्त्रियो हि परमं गुह्यं धारयन्ति सदा कुले। पुरुषांश्चैव मायाभिर्बह्वीभिरुपगृह्णते
Women always hold the deepest secrets within the family, and with many arts, they influence men.
सा सत्यवति संपश्य धर्मं सत्यपरायणे। यथा न जह्यां सत्यं च न सीदेच्च कुलं हि नः
O Satyavati, consider dharma, devoted to truth, so that I do not abandon truth and our lineage does not perish.
ततः सत्यवती भीष्मं वाचा संसज्जमानया। विहसन्तीव सव्रीडमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Then Satyavati, with words mingled with modesty and a smile, spoke this to Bhishma.
सत्यमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि भारत। विश्वासात्ते प्रवक्ष्यामि सन्तानाय कुलस्य नः
What you say is true, O mighty-armed Bharata; trusting you, I will speak for the sake of our lineage.
न ते शक्यमनाख्यातुमापद्धर्मं तथाविधम्। त्वमेव नः कुले धर्मस्त्वं सत्यं त्वं परा गतिः
Such a dharma in distress cannot be revealed to you; you alone are dharma in our family, you are truth, you are the supreme refuge.
यत्त्वं वक्ष्यसि तत्कार्यमस्माभिरिति मे मतिः।' तस्मान्निशम्य सत्यं मे कुरुष्व यदनन्तरम्। `शृणु भीष्म वचो मह्यं धर्मार्थसहितं हितम्
Whatever you say, that shall be done by us—this is my resolve; therefore, hearing my truth, do what follows. Hear, Bhishma, my words, which are beneficial and joined with dharma and artha.
न च विस्रम्भकथितं भवान्सूचितुमर्हति। यस्तु राजा वसुर्नाम श्रुतस्ते भरतर्षभ
You should not disclose what is spoken in confidence; but you have heard of the king named Vasu, O bull among Bharatas.
तस्य शुक्लादहं मत्स्या धृता कुक्षौ पुरा किल। मातरं मे जलाद्धृत्वा दाशः परमधर्मवित्
Once, I was carried in the womb as a fish by his white queen; my mother was taken from the water by a fisherman, who was supremely righteous.
मां तु स्वगृहमानीय दुहितृत्वेऽभ्यकल्पयत्। धर्मयुक्तः स धर्मेण पिता चासीत्ततो मम
Bringing me to his own house, he raised me as his daughter; he was righteous, and thus became my father by dharma.
धर्मयुक्तस्य धर्मार्थं पितुरासीत्तरी मम। सा कदाचिदहं तत्र गता प्रथमयौवनम्
For the sake of dharma, my father, who was righteous, had a boat; once, I went there in the prime of youth.
अथ धर्मविदां श्रेष्ठः परमर्षिः पराशरः। आजगाम तरीं धीमांस्तरिष्यन्यमुनां नदीम्
Then, the foremost among knowers of dharma, the great sage Parashara, came to that boat, intending to cross the Yamuna river.
स तार्यमाणो यमुनां मामुपेत्याब्रवीत्तदा। सान्त्वपूर्वं मुनिश्रेष्ठः कामार्तो मधुरं वचः। उक्त्वा जन्म कुलं मह्यं नासि दाशसुतेति च
As I was ferrying him across the Yamuna, he approached me and spoke, O best of sages, words sweet and gentle, driven by desire. He told me my birth and lineage, and said, 'You are not the daughter of a fisherman.'
तमहं शापभीता च पितुर्भीता च भारत। वरैरसुलभैरुक्ता न प्रत्याख्यातुमुत्सहे
Afraid of a curse and fearful of my father, O Bharata, I could not refuse him, though he asked for difficult boons.
प्रेक्ष्य तांस्तु महाभागान्पारावारे ऋषीन्स्थितान्। यमुनातीरविन्यस्तान्प्रदीप्तानिव पावकान्
I saw those illustrious sages standing on the far shore, placed along the banks of the Yamuna, shining like blazing fires.
पुरस्तादरुणश्चैव तरुणः संप्रकाशते। येनैषा ताम्रवस्त्रेव द्यौः कृता प्रविजृम्भिता
In front, the young sun shone forth, by which the sky, draped in red garments, seemed to be fully expanded.
उक्तमात्रो मया तत्र नीहारमसृजत्प्रभुः। पराशरः सत्यधृतिर्द्वीपे च यमुनाम्भसि
As soon as I spoke there, the mighty sage Parashara, steadfast in truth, created a mist on the island in the waters of the Yamuna.
अभिभूय स मां बालां तेजसा वशमानयत्। तमसा लोकमावृत्य नौगतामेव भारत
Overpowering me, a young girl, with his energy, he brought me under his control, covering the world in darkness, as if I were a boat, O Bharata.
मत्स्यगन्धो महानासीत्पुरा मम जुगुप्सितः। तमपास्य शुभं गन्धमिमं प्रादात्स मे मुनिः
I once had a strong fishy odor, which was repulsive to me; but the sage removed it and gave me this pleasant fragrance.
ततो मामाह स मुनिर्गर्भमुत्सृज्य मामकम्। द्वोपेऽस्या एव सरितः कन्यैव त्वं भविष्यसि
Then the sage told me, after I had conceived his child, 'On this very island of the river, you shall remain a maiden.'
कन्यात्वं च ददौ प्रीतः पुनर्विद्वांस्तपोधनः। तस्य वीर्यमहं दृष्ट्वा तथा युक्तं महात्मनः
Gladly, the wise ascetic granted me perpetual maidenhood; seeing the power of that great soul, I was amazed and distressed.
विस्मिता व्यथिता चैव प्रादामात्मानमेव च। ततस्तदा महात्मा स कन्यायां मयि भारत। प्रहृष्टोऽजनयत्पुत्रं द्वीप एव पराशरः
Astonished and troubled, I surrendered myself; then, O Bharata, that great soul, delighted, begot a son in me, on the island, Parashara.