01.097
Core:Dillema of dharma during calamity!
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tataḥ satyavatī dīnā kṛpaṇā putra-gṛddhinī. putrasya kṛtvā kāryāṇi snuṣābhyāṁ saha bhārata ॥1॥
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.
dharmaṁ ca pitṛ-vaṁśaṁ ca mātṛ-vaṁśaṁ ca māninī. prasamīkṣya mahābhāgā gāṅgeyaṁ vākyam abravīt ॥2॥
Having reflected on dharma, the paternal and maternal lineages, the dignified and noble lady spoke to Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma).
śantanoḥ dharma-nityasya kauravasya yaśasvinaḥ. tvayi piṇḍaś ca kīrtiś ca santānaṁ ca pratiṣṭhitam ॥3॥
In you is established the funeral offering, fame, and progeny of the ever-righteous and illustrious Śantanu of the Kauravas.
yathā karma śubhaṁ kṛtvā svarga-upagamanaṁ dhruvam. yathā ca āyuḥ dhruvaṁ satye tvayi dharmaḥ tathā dhruvaḥ ॥4॥
Just as heaven is certainly attained by performing auspicious deeds, and life is surely rooted in truth, so is dharma firmly rooted in you.
vettha dharmāṁś ca dharma-jña samāsena itareṇa ca. vividhāḥ tvaṁ śrutīr vettha vettha vedāṁś ca sarvaśaḥ ॥5॥
You know the aspects of dharma, O knower of dharma, both concisely and in detail; you know the various scriptures and the Vedas completely.
vyavasthānaṁ ca te dharme kulācāraṁ ca lakṣaye. pratipattiṁ ca kṛcchreṣu śukra-aṅgirasayoḥ iva ॥6॥
I observe your firmness in dharma, and your adherence to family tradition; and your discernment in hardships, like that of Śukra and Aṅgiras.
tasmāt subhṛśam āśvasya tvayi dharma-bhṛtāṁ vara. kārye tvāṁ viniyokṣyāmi tat śrutvā kartum arhasi ॥7॥
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.
mama putras tava bhrātā vīryavān supriyaś ca te. bāla eva gataḥ svargam aputraḥ puruṣarṣabha ॥8॥
My son, your brother, powerful and very dear to you, went to heaven in youth, O best of men, without having a son.
ime mahiṣyau bhrātuḥ te kāśirāja-sute śubhe. rūpa-yauvana-sampanne putra-kāme ca bhārata ॥9॥
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.
tayor utpādaya āpatyaṁ santānāya kulasya naḥ. mat-niyogāt mahābhāga dharmaṁ kartum iha arhasi ॥10॥
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.
rājye ca eva abhiṣicya sva bhārata anuśādhi ca. dārān ca kuru dharmeṇa mā nimajjīḥ pitāmahān ॥11॥
Having anointed yourself in the kingdom, O Bhārata, govern; take wives in accordance with dharma, and do not let the forefathers sink (into ruin).
tathā ucyamānaḥ mātrā ca suhṛdbhiś ca parantapaḥ. pratyuvāca sa dharmātmā dharmyām eva uttaraṁ vacaḥ ॥12॥
Thus being urged by his mother and friends, the scorcher of foes, that righteous soul gave only a righteous reply.
asaṁśayaṁ paro dharmaḥ tvayā mātar udāhṛtaḥ. tvam apatyam prati ca me pratijñāṁ vettha vai parām ॥13॥
Undoubtedly, O mother, the supreme dharma has been stated by you; and you truly know my supreme vow regarding offspring.
jānāsi ca yathā vṛttaṁ śulka-hetos tvad-antare. saḥ satyavati satyaṁ te pratijānāmi ahaṁ punaḥ ॥14॥
You also know how it happened for the sake of dowry in your absence, O Satyavatī. I promise you again this truth.
parityajeyaṁ trailokyaṁ rājyaṁ deveṣu vā punaḥ. yad vā api adhikam etābhyāṁ na tu satyaṁ kathañcana ॥15॥
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.
tyajec ca pṛthivī gandham āpaḥ ca rasam ātmanaḥ. jyotiḥ tathā tyajet rūpaṁ vāyuḥ sparśa-guṇaṁ tyajet ॥16॥
Earth might abandon its scent, water its taste, fire its form, and air the quality of touch.
prabhāṁ samutsṛjet arkaḥ dhūma-ketuḥ tathā uṣṇatām. tyajet śabdaṁ tathā ākāśaḥ somaḥ śītāṁśutāṁ tyajet ॥17॥
The sun might relinquish its brilliance, the comet its heat; space might give up sound, and the moon its cool-rayed nature.
vikramaṁ vṛtra-hā jahyāt dharmaṁ jahyāt ca dharma-rāṭ. na tu ahaṁ satyam utsraṣṭuṁ vyavaseyaṁ kathaṁcana ॥18॥
Indra might abandon valor, Yama might abandon righteousness, but I would never resolve to abandon truth.
evam uktā tu putreṇa bhūri-draviṇa-tejasā. mātā satyavatī bhīṣmam uvāca tad anantaram ॥19॥
Thus addressed by her son of great wealth and brilliance, the mother Satyavatī then spoke to Bhīṣma.
jānāmi te sthitiṁ satye parāṁ satya-parākrama. icchan sṛjetāḥ trīn lokān anyān tvaṁ svena tejasā ॥20॥
I know your supreme steadfastness in truth, O valiant in truth; if you wished, you could create other worlds by your own brilliance.
jānāmi ca eva satyaṁ tan mad-arthaṁ yad abhāṣathāḥ. āpad-dharmaṁ avekṣasva vaha paitāmahīṁ dhuram ॥21॥
I indeed know that what you spoke was the truth, and for my sake. Consider the dharma of emergency, and bear the ancestral burden.
yathā te kula-tantuś ca dharmaś ca na parābhavet. suhṛdaś ca prahṛṣyeran tathā kuru parantapa ॥22॥
So that your family line and dharma may not be destroyed, and your well-wishers may rejoice — do thus, O scorcher of foes.
lālapyamānāṁ tām evaṁ kṛpaṇāṁ putra-gṛddhinīm. dharmād apetaṁ bruvatīṁ bhīṣmaḥ bhūyaḥ abravīt idam ॥23॥
Seeing her thus lamenting, pitiable, and longing for a son, and speaking in a way deviating from dharma, Bhīṣma again spoke these words.
rājñi dharmān avekṣasva mā naḥ sarvān vyanīnaśaḥ. satyāt cyutiḥ kṣatriyasya na dharmeṣu praśasyate ॥24॥
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.
śantanoḥ api santānaṁ yathā syāt akṣayaṁ bhuvi. tat te dharmaṁ pravakṣyāmi kṣātraṁ rājñi sanātanam ॥25॥
So that Śantanu’s lineage may be unbroken on earth, I shall declare to you that eternal kṣatriya dharma, O queen.
śrutvā taṁ pratipadyethāḥ prājñaiḥ saha purohitaiḥ. āpad-dharma-artha-kuśalaiḥ loka-tantram avekṣya ca ॥26॥
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.
