05.165
Pancharatra-core: Bhishma insults Karna as a half-charioteer while describing warriors. Because of this Karna refuses to engage, as long as Bhishma is the commander in chief.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
acalo vṛṣakaścaiva bhrātarau sahitāvubhau। rathau tava durādharṣau śatrūnvidhvaṁsayiṣyataḥ ॥5-165-1॥
Acala and Vṛṣaka, the two brothers, together with your invincible chariots, will destroy the enemies.
balavantau naravyāghrau dṛḍhakrodhau prahāriṇau। gāndhāramukhyau taruṇau darśanīyau mahābalau ॥5-165-2॥
The two strong and young warriors, who are like tigers among men, firm in their anger and skilled in striking, are the chiefs of Gandhara, handsome and very powerful.
sakhā te dayito nityaṃ ya eṣa raṇakarkaśaḥ। protsāhayati rājaṃstvāṃ vigrahe pāṇḍavaiḥ saha ॥5-165-3॥
Your beloved friend, who is always battle-hardened, encourages you, O king, to engage in conflict with the Pandavas.
paruṣaḥ katthano nīcaḥ karṇo vaikartanastava। mantrī netā ca bandhuśca mānī cātyantamucchritaḥ ॥5-165-4॥
Karṇa, the son of Vikartana, is harsh, boastful, and lowly. He is your advisor, leader, and relative, and is extremely proud and exalted.
eṣa naiva rathaḥ pūrṇo nāpyevātiratho nṛpa। viyuktaḥ kavacenaeṣa sahajena vicetanaḥ ॥ kuṇḍalābhyāṃ ca divyābhyāṃ viyuktaḥ satataṃ ghṛṇī ॥5-165-5॥
This chariot is neither complete nor does it belong to a great charioteer, O king. It is without armor and naturally unconscious, and is always compassionate, lacking the divine earrings.
abhiśāpācca rāmasya brāhmaṇasya ca bhāṣaṇāt। karaṇānāṃ viyogācca tena me'rdharatho mataḥ ॥ naiṣa phalgunamāsādya punarjīvanvimokṣyate ॥5-165-6॥
Due to the curse and the words of Rāma and the Brāhmaṇa, and the separation from actions, I am deemed a half-charioteer by him. This will not be freed again after reaching Phalguna alive.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tato'bravīnmahābāhurdroṇaḥ śastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ। evametadyathāttha tvaṃ na mithyāstīti kiñcana ॥5-165-7॥
Then the mighty-armed Droṇa, the best among warriors, affirmed: "Indeed, as you have stated, nothing is untrue."
raṇe raṇe'timānī ca vimukhaścaiva dṛśyate। ghṛṇī karṇaḥ pramādī ca tena me'rdharatho mataḥ ॥5-165-8॥
In every battle, Karna, though very proud, is seen to turn away. He is compassionate and careless, and thus I consider him only half a chariot-warrior.
etacchrutvā tu rādheyaḥ krodhādutphullalocanaḥ। uvāca bhīṣmaṃ rājendra tudanvāgbhiḥ pratodavat ॥5-165-9॥
Upon hearing this, Radheya, his eyes wide with anger, addressed Bhishma, O king, with words that pierced like a goad.
pitāmaha yatheṣṭaṃ māṃ vākṣarairupakṛntasi। anāgasaṃ sadā dveṣādevameva pade pade ॥ marṣayāmi ca tatsarvaṃ duryodhanakṛtena vai ॥5-165-10॥
Grandfather, you criticize me harshly as you wish, always out of hatred, at every step. I endure all this because of Duryodhana.
tvaṁ tu māṁ manyase'śaktaṁ yathā kāpuruṣaṁ tathā। bhavān ardharatho mahyaṁ mato nāstyatra sanśayaḥ ॥5-165-11॥
You think of me as incapable, like a coward, but I see you as only half a warrior. There is no doubt about this.
sarvasya jagataścaiva gāṅgeya na mṛṣā vade। kurūṇāmahito nityaṃ na ca rājāvabudhyate ॥5-165-12॥
O son of Ganga, I speak nothing false about the entire world. The king, always an enemy of the Kurus, does not understand.
ko hi nāma samāneṣu rājasūdāttakarmasu। tejovadhamimaṃ kuryādvibhedayiṣurāhave ॥ yathā tvaṃ guṇanirdeśādaparādhaṃ cikīrṣasi ॥5-165-13॥
Who indeed, in equal royal and noble deeds, would cause this destruction of energy desiring to divide in battle, as you intend to commit an offense by pointing out qualities?
na hāyanairna palitairna vittairna ca bandhubhiḥ। mahārathatvaṃ saṅkhyātuṃ śakyaṃ kṣatrasya kaurava ॥5-165-14॥
O Kaurava, the status of a great warrior cannot be determined by age, gray hair, wealth, or relatives.
balajyeṣṭhaṃ smṛtaṃ kṣatraṃ mantrajyeṣṭhā dvijātayaḥ। dhanajyeṣṭhāḥ smṛtā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāstu vayasādhikāḥ ॥5-165-15॥
The warrior class is regarded as the strongest, the twice-born as the wisest, the merchant class as the wealthiest, and the laborer class as the oldest.
yathetṣchakaṃ svayaṅgrāhādrathān atirathāṃs tathā। kāmadveṣasamāyukto mohāt prakurute bhavān ॥5-165-16॥
You act out of delusion, driven by desire and hatred, taking chariots and great chariots as you wish.
duryodhana mahābāho sādhu samyagavekṣyatām। tyajyatāṃ duṣṭabhāvo'yaṃ bhīṣmaḥ kilbiṣakṛttava ॥5-165-17॥
O mighty-armed Duryodhana, observe well and properly. Abandon this evil intention towards Bhishma, who is sinful.
bhinnā hi senā nṛpate duḥsandheyā bhavatyuta। maulāpi puruṣavyāghra kimu nānā samutthitā ॥5-165-18॥
O king, a divided army is indeed difficult to unite. Even if it is originally united, O tiger among men, how much more so when it has arisen in various forms?
eṣāṃ dvaidhaṃ samutpannaṃ yodhānāṃ yudhi bhārata। tejavadho naḥ kriyate pratyakṣeṇa viśeṣataḥ ॥5-165-19॥
O Bharata, among these warriors in battle, a division has arisen. Our energy is being destroyed directly and especially.
rathānāṃ kva ca vijñānaṃ kva ca bhīṣmo'lpacetanaḥ। ahamāvārayiṣyāmi pāṇḍavānāmanīkinīm ॥5-165-20॥
Where is the expertise in chariots, and where is Bhishma, who is of little sense? I will halt the Pandavas' army.
āsādya māmamogheṣuṃ gamiṣyanti diśo daśa। pāṇḍavāḥ sahapañcālāḥ śārdūlaṃ vṛṣabhā iva ॥5-165-21॥
The Pandavas and the Panchalas, armed with unfailing arrows, will surround me from all ten directions like bulls encircling a tiger.
kva ca yuddhavimardo vā mantrāḥ suvyāhṛtāni vā। kva ca bhīṣmo gatavayā mandātmā kālamohitaḥ ॥5-165-22॥
Where is the clash of battle or the well-articulated counsels? And where is Bhishma, who is aged, slow-witted, and deluded by the passage of time?
spardhate hi sadā nityaṃ sarveṇa jagatā saha। na cānyaṃ puruṣaṃ kañcinmanyate moghadarśanaḥ ॥5-165-23॥
He is always in competition with the entire world and does not regard anyone else, being one with a futile vision.
śrotavyaṃ khalu vṛddhānāmiti śāstranidarśanam। na tvevāpyativṛddhānāṃ punarbālā hi te matāḥ ॥5-165-24॥
It is said that one should indeed listen to the elders as they provide scriptural examples, but the very old are not to be considered in the same way, as they are regarded as children once more.
ahameko haniṣyāmi pāṇḍavānnātra sanśayaḥ। suyuddhe rājaśārdūla yaśo bhīṣmaṃ gamiṣyati ॥5-165-25॥
I alone will defeat the Pandavas without any doubt. In a fair battle, O tiger among kings, the glory will belong to Bhishma.
kṛtaḥ senāpatistveṣa tvayā bhīṣmo narādhipa। senāpatiṃ guṇo gantā na tu yodhānkathañcana ॥5-165-26॥
O king, you have appointed Bhishma as the general. The virtue will go to the general, but not to the warriors in any way.
nāhaṃ jīvati gāṅgeye yotsye rājankathaṃcana। hate tu bhīṣme yodhāsmi sarvaireva mahārathaiḥ ॥5-165-27॥
O king, I refuse to engage in battle as long as Bhīṣma, the son of Ganga, is alive. However, once Bhīṣma is slain, I shall join the fight alongside all the great warriors.
