01.097
Core:Dillema of dharma during calamity!
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततः सत्यवती दीना कृपणा पुत्रगृद्धिनी । पुत्रस्य कृत्वा कार्याणि स्नुषाभ्यां सह भारत ॥१-०९७-१॥
Then Satyavatī, afflicted, pitiable, and longing for a son, performed the funeral rites of her son along with the two daughters-in-law, O Bhārata.
धर्मं च पितृवंशं च मातृवंशं च मानिनी । प्रसमीक्ष्य महाभागा गाङ्गेयं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥१-०९७-२॥
Having reflected on dharma, the paternal and maternal lineages, the dignified and noble lady spoke to Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma).
शन्तनोर्धर्मनित्यस्य कौरव्यस्य यशस्विनः । त्वयि पिण्डश्च कीर्तिश्च सन्तानं च प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥१-०९७-३॥
In you is established the funeral offering, fame, and progeny of the ever-righteous and illustrious Śantanu of the Kauravas.
यथा कर्म शुभं कृत्वा स्वर्गोपगमनं ध्रुवम् । यथा चायुर्ध्रुवं सत्ये त्वयि धर्मस्तथा ध्रुवः ॥१-०९७-४॥
Just as heaven is certainly attained by performing auspicious deeds, and life is surely rooted in truth, so is dharma firmly rooted in you.
वेत्थ धर्मांश्च धर्मज्ञ समासेनेतरेण च । विविधास्त्वं श्रुतीर्वेत्थ वेत्थ वेदांश्च सर्वशः ॥१-०९७-५॥
You know the aspects of dharma, O knower of dharma, both concisely and in detail; you know the various scriptures and the Vedas completely.
व्यवस्थानं च ते धर्मे कुलाचारं च लक्षये । प्रतिपत्तिं च कृच्छ्रेषु शुक्राङ्गिरसयोरिव ॥१-०९७-६॥
I observe your firmness in dharma, and your adherence to family tradition; and your discernment in hardships, like that of Śukra and Aṅgiras.
तस्मात्सुभृशमाश्वस्य त्वयि धर्मभृतां वर । कार्ये त्वां विनियोक्ष्यामि तच्छ्रुत्वा कर्तुमर्हसि ॥१-०९७-७॥
Therefore, being greatly assured in you, O best among the upholders of dharma, I shall appoint you to a duty; on hearing it, you ought to perform it.
मम पुत्रस्तव भ्राता वीर्यवान्सुप्रियश्च ते । बाल एव गतः स्वर्गमपुत्रः पुरुषर्षभ ॥१-०९७-८॥
My son, your brother, powerful and very dear to you, went to heaven in youth, O best of men, without having a son.
इमे महिष्यौ भ्रातुस्ते काशिराजसुते शुभे । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ने पुत्रकामे च भारत ॥१-०९७-९॥
These are the queens of your brother, the auspicious daughters of the king of Kāśī, endowed with beauty and youth, and desiring a son, O Bhārata.
तयोरुत्पादयापत्यं सन्तानाय कुलस्य नः । मन्नियोगान्महाभाग धर्मं कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥१-०९७-१०॥
By my command, O greatly fortunate one, you ought to perform this dharma here — beget offspring through these two for the continuation of our lineage.
राज्ये चैवाभिषिच्यस्व भारताननुशाधि च । दारांश्च कुरु धर्मेण मा निमज्जीः पितामहान् ॥१-०९७-११॥
Having anointed yourself in the kingdom, O Bhārata, govern; take wives in accordance with dharma, and do not let the forefathers sink (into ruin).
तथोच्यमानो मात्रा च सुहृद्भिश्च परन्तपः । प्रत्युवाच स धर्मात्मा धर्म्यमेवोत्तरं वचः ॥१-०९७-१२॥
Thus being urged by his mother and friends, the scorcher of foes, that righteous soul gave only a righteous reply.
असंशयं परो धर्मस्त्वया मातरुदाहृतः । त्वमपत्यं प्रति च मे प्रतिज्ञां वेत्थ वै पराम् ॥१-०९७-१३॥
Undoubtedly, O mother, the supreme dharma has been stated by you; and you truly know my supreme vow regarding offspring.
जानासि च यथावृत्तं शुल्कहेतोस्त्वदन्तरे । स सत्यवति सत्यं ते प्रतिजानाम्यहं पुनः ॥१-०९७-१४॥
You also know how it happened for the sake of dowry in your absence, O Satyavatī. I promise you again this truth.
परित्यजेयं त्रैलोक्यं राज्यं देवेषु वा पुनः । यद्वाप्यधिकमेताभ्यां न तु सत्यं कथञ्चन ॥१-०९७-१५॥
I may abandon the three worlds, or a kingdom among the gods, or even that which is greater than both — but never, in any way, the truth.
त्यजेच्च पृथिवी गन्धमापश्च रसमात्मनः । ज्योतिस्तथा त्यजेद्रूपं वायुः स्पर्शगुणं त्यजेत् ॥१-०९७-१६॥
Earth might abandon its scent, water its taste, fire its form, and air the quality of touch.
प्रभां समुत्सृजेदर्को धूमकेतुस्तथोष्णताम् । त्यजेच्छब्दं तथाकाशः सोमः शीतांशुतां त्यजेत् ॥१-०९७-१७॥
The sun might relinquish its brilliance, the comet its heat; space might give up sound, and the moon its cool-rayed nature.
विक्रमं वृत्रहा जह्याद्धर्मं जह्याच्च धर्मराट् । न त्वहं सत्यमुत्स्रष्टुं व्यवसेयं कथञ्चन ॥१-०९७-१८॥
Indra might abandon valor, Yama might abandon righteousness, but I would never resolve to abandon truth.
एवमुक्ता तु पुत्रेण भूरिद्रविणतेजसा । माता सत्यवती भीष्ममुवाच तदनन्तरम् ॥१-०९७-१९॥
Thus addressed by her son of great wealth and brilliance, the mother Satyavatī then spoke to Bhīṣma.
जानामि ते स्थितिं सत्ये परां सत्यपराक्रम । इच्छन्सृजेथास्त्रीँल्लोकानन्यांस्त्वं स्वेन तेजसा ॥१-०९७-२०॥
I know your supreme steadfastness in truth, O valiant in truth; if you wished, you could create other worlds by your own brilliance.
जानामि चैव सत्यं तन्मदर्थं यदभाषथाः । आपद्धर्ममवेक्षस्व वह पैतामहीं धुरम् ॥१-०९७-२१॥
I indeed know that what you spoke was the truth, and for my sake. Consider the dharma of emergency, and bear the ancestral burden.
यथा ते कुलतन्तुश्च धर्मश्च न पराभवेत् । सुहृदश्च प्रहृष्येरंस्तथा कुरु परन्तप ॥१-०९७-२२॥
So that your family line and dharma may not be destroyed, and your well-wishers may rejoice — do thus, O scorcher of foes.
लालप्यमानां तामेवं कृपणां पुत्रगृद्धिनीम् । धर्मादपेतं ब्रुवतीं भीष्मो भूयोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥१-०९७-२३॥
Seeing her thus lamenting, pitiable, and longing for a son, and speaking in a way deviating from dharma, Bhīṣma again spoke these words.
राज्ञि धर्मानवेक्षस्व मा नः सर्वान् व्यनीनशः । सत्याच्च्युतिः क्षत्रियस्य न धर्मेषु प्रशस्यते ॥१-०९७-२४॥
O queen, consider the principles of dharma; do not cause all of us to fall into disgrace. For a kṣatriya, deviation from truth is never praised in dharma.
शन्तनोरपि सन्तानं यथा स्यादक्षयं भुवि । तत्ते धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामि क्षात्रं राज्ञि सनातनम् ॥१-०९७-२५॥
So that Śantanu’s lineage may be unbroken on earth, I shall declare to you that eternal kṣatriya dharma, O queen.
श्रुत्वा तं प्रतिपद्येथाः प्राज्ञैः सह पुरोहितैः । आपद्धर्मार्थकुशलैर्लोकतन्त्रमवेक्ष्य च ॥१-०९७-२६॥
Having heard it, you should accept it along with wise priests skilled in the dharma and purpose of emergencies, having considered the order of the world.
