05.169
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
rocamāno mahārāja pāṇḍavānāṃ mahārathaḥ। yotsyate'maravatsaṅkhye parasainyeṣu bhārata ॥5-169-1॥
The illustrious great king, the mighty chariot warrior of the Pandavas, will engage in battle like the gods against the enemy forces, O Bharata.
purujitkuntibhojaśca maheṣvāso mahābalaḥ। mātulo bhīmasenasya sa ca me'tiratho mataḥ ॥5-169-2॥
Purujit and Kuntibhoja, both great archers and mighty warriors, are the uncles of Bhimasena. He is considered by me to be a great chariot-warrior.
eṣa vīro maheṣvāsaḥ kṛtī ca nipuṇaśca ha। citrayodhī ca śaktaśca mato me rathapuṅgavaḥ ॥5-169-3॥
This hero, who is a great archer and accomplished, skilled indeed, is a wonderful warrior and capable, and is considered by me as the foremost of charioteers.
sa yotsyati hi vikramya maghavāniva dānavaiḥ। yodhāścāsya parikhyātāḥ sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ ॥5-169-4॥
He will fight bravely like Indra against the Danavas. All his warriors are renowned and skilled in battle.
bhāgineyakṛte vīraḥ sa kariṣyati saṅgare। sumahatkarma pāṇḍūnāṃ sthitaḥ priyahite nṛpaḥ ॥5-169-5॥
The hero, for the sake of his nephew, will perform a great deed in battle for the Pandavas, as the king stands for their dear benefit.
bhaimasenirmahārāja haiḍimbo rākṣaseśvaraḥ। mato me bahumāyāvī rathayūthapayūthapaḥ ॥5-169-6॥
The great king Hidimba, son of Bhimasena and lord of demons, is regarded by me as a very deceitful leader among chariot warriors.
yotsyate samare tāta māyābhiḥ samarapriyaḥ। ye cāsya rākṣasāḥ śūrāḥ sacivā vaśavartinaḥ ॥5-169-7॥
Dear father, the one who loves battle will engage in the fight using illusions. His demon warriors and ministers are brave and obedient.
ete cānye ca bahavo nānājanapadeśvarāḥ। sametāḥ pāṇḍavasyārthe vāsudevapurogamāḥ ॥5-169-8॥
These and many other kings from various regions, gathered for the cause of the Pāṇḍavas, led by Lord Vāsudeva.
ete prādhānyato rājanpāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ। rathāścātirathāścaiva ye cāpyardharathā matāḥ ॥5-169-9॥
These are primarily the chariots and great charioteers of the noble Pandava, O king, and those who are also regarded as half-charioteers.
neṣyanti samare senāṃ bhīmāṃ yaudhiṣṭhirīṃ nṛpa। mahendreṇeva vīreṇa pālyamānāṃ kirīṭinā ॥5-169-10॥
O king, the formidable army of Yudhishthira will be led into battle, protected by the hero, like Mahendra, by the crowned one.
tairahaṁ samare vīra tvāmayadbhirjaya iṣibhiḥ। yotsyāmi jayamākāṅkṣannatha vā nidhanaṁ raṇe ॥5-169-11॥
O hero, I will fight you in battle with arrows, desiring victory, or else meet my death in the battlefield.
pārthaṃ ca vāsudevaṃ ca cakragāṇḍīvadhāriṇau| sandhyāgatāv ivārkendū sameṣye puruṣottamau ॥5-169-12॥
Arjuna and Krishna, the supreme among men, arrived at the assembly at twilight, resembling the sun and moon, wielding their discus and Gandiva bow.
ye caiva te rathodārāḥ pāṇḍuputrasya sainikāḥ। sahasainyānahaṃ tāṃśca pratīyāṃ raṇamūrdhani ॥5-169-13॥
I will face those great charioteers and soldiers of the Pandavas with my armies at the forefront of the battle.
ete rathāś cātirathāś ca tubhyaṃ; yathāpradhānaṃ nṛpa kīrtitā mayā| tathā rājann ardharathāś ca ke cit; tathaiva teṣām api kauravendra ॥5-169-14॥
These warriors and great warriors have been mentioned to you as the chief ones, O king, by me. Similarly, O king, some of them are also half-warriors, O lord of the Kauravas.
arjunaṁ vāsudevaṁ ca ye cānye tatra pārthivāḥ। sarvānāvārayiṣyāmi yāvaddrakṣyāmi bhārata ॥5-169-15॥
I will hold back all, including Arjuna, Vasudeva, and the other kings present there, until I can see, O Bharata.
pāñcālyaṃ tu mahābāho nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam। udyateṣumabhiprekṣya pratiyudhyantamāhave ॥5-169-16॥
O mighty-armed one, I will not kill Shikhandi, the son of Drupada, as he stands ready with his arrows, fighting back in the battle.
lokastadveda yadahaṃ pituḥ priyacikīrṣayā। prāptaṃ rājyaṃ parityajya brahmacarye dhṛtavrataḥ ॥5-169-17॥
The world is aware that I have renounced the kingdom I obtained to please my father and have taken a firm vow of celibacy.
citrāṅgadaṃ kauravāṇāmahaṃ rājye'bhyaṣecayam। vicitravīryaṃ ca śiśuṃ yauvarājye'bhyaṣecayam ॥5-169-18॥
I appointed Chitrangada as the king of the Kauravas and Vichitravirya as the crown prince.
devavratatvaṃ vikhyāpya pṛthivyāṃ sarvarājasu। naiva hanyāṃ striyaṃ jātu na strīpūrvaṃ kathaṃcana ॥5-169-19॥
Having declared the state of being devoted to the gods among all the kings on earth, I would never kill a woman, nor anyone who was formerly a woman, in any circumstance.
sa hi strīpūrvako rājañśikhaṇḍī yadi te śrutaḥ। kanyā bhūtvā pumāñjāto na yotsye tena bhārata ॥5-169-20॥
O King, if you have heard of Śikhaṇḍī, who was formerly a woman and became a man, I will not fight with him, O Bhārata.
sarvāṁstvanyān haniṣyāmi pārthivān bharatarṣabha। yān sameṣyāmi samare na tu kuntīsutān nṛpa ॥5-169-21॥
O best of the Bharatas, I will slay all other kings I meet in battle, but I will spare the sons of Kunti, O king.
