05.187
rāma uvāca॥
Rama spoke:
pratyakṣametallokānāṃ sarveṣāmeva bhāmini। yathā mayā paraṃ śaktyā kṛtaṃ vai pauruṣaṃ mahat ॥5-187-1॥
O beautiful lady, this is directly known to all the worlds, as the great effort has indeed been done by me with supreme power.
na caiva yudhi śaknomi bhīṣmaṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ varam। viśeṣayitum atyartham uttamāstrāṇi darśayan ॥5-187-2॥
In the battle, I find myself unable to distinguish Bhishma, the greatest among the wielders of weapons, even while displaying the most excellent weapons.
eṣā me paramā śaktiretanme paramaṃ balam। yatheṣṭaṃ gamyatāṃ bhadre kimanyadvā karomi te ॥5-187-3॥
This is my supreme power and strength. Go as you wish, O gentle lady, what else can I do for you?
bhīṣmameva prapadyasva na te'nyā vidyate gatiḥ। nirjito hyasmi bhīṣmeṇa mahāstrāṇi pramuñcatā ॥5-187-4॥
Surrender to Bhishma alone; there is no other way for you. I have been defeated by Bhishma, who is releasing powerful weapons.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
evamuktvā tato rāmo viniḥśvasya mahāmanāḥ। tūṣṇīmāsīttadā kanyā provāca bhṛgunandanam ॥5-187-5॥
After speaking thus, Rama, with a heavy heart, sighed and remained silent. Then, the girl spoke to the descendant of Bhrigu.
bhagavannevamevaitadyathāha bhagavāṁstathā। ajeyo yudhi bhīṣmo'yamapi devairudāradhīḥ ॥5-187-6॥
O Lord, it is indeed as you have said. Bhishma is invincible in battle, even to the gods, and is noble-minded.
yathāśakti yathotsāhaṃ mama kāryaṃ kṛtaṃ tvayā। anidhāya raṇe vīryamastrāṇi vividhāni ca ॥5-187-7॥
You have accomplished my task with all your ability and enthusiasm, without even using your valor and various weapons in battle.
na caiṣa śakyate yuddhe viśeṣayitumantataḥ। na cāhamenaṃ yāsyāmi punarbhīṣmaṃ kathaṃcana ॥5-187-8॥
This cannot be distinguished in battle finally, and I will not return to Bhishma in any way.
gamiṣyāmi tu tatrāhaṃ yatra bhīṣmaṃ tapodhana। samare pātayiṣyāmi svayameva bhṛgūdvaha ॥5-187-9॥
I will indeed go there, O treasure of penance, where Bhishma is, and in the battle, I shall personally bring him down, O descendant of Bhrigu.
evamuktvā yayau kanyā roṣavyākulalocanā। tapase dhṛtasaṅkalpā mama cintayatī vadham ॥5-187-10॥
Thus, the girl, her eyes filled with anger, went away with a firm resolve to perform penance, contemplating my destruction.
tato mahendraṃ saha tairmunibhirbhṛgusattamaḥ। yathāgataṃ yayau rāmo māmupāmantrya bhārata ॥5-187-11॥
Then, O best of the Bhṛgus, Rama, after addressing me, went to Mahendra along with those sages, as he had come, O Bharata.
tato'haṁ rathamāruhya stūyamāno dvijātibhiḥ। praviśya nagaraṁ mātre satyavatyai nyavedayam ॥ yathāvṛttaṁ mahārāja sā ca māṁ pratyanandata ॥5-187-12॥
Then I mounted the chariot, praised by the Brahmins, entered the city, and reported everything to my mother Satyavati as it happened, O great king, and she welcomed me.
puruṣāṃścādiśaṃ prājñān kanyāvṛttāntakarmaṇi। divase divase hyasyā gatajalpitaceṣṭitam ॥ pratyāharaṃśca me yuktāḥ sthitāḥ priyahite mama ॥5-187-13॥
I instructed wise men to investigate the girl's affairs. Day by day, indeed, her past conversations and actions were recalled by those engaged in my welfare, who were situated in my dear interests.
yadaiva hi vanaṃ prāyāt kanyā sā tapase dhṛtā। tadaiva vyathito dīno gatacetā ivābhavam ॥5-187-14॥
When the girl went to the forest with determination for penance, I became distressed and miserable, as if I had lost consciousness.
na hi māṃ kṣatriyaḥ kaścidvīryeṇa vijayedyudhi। ṛte brahmavidastāta tapasā saṃśitavratāt ॥5-187-15॥
No warrior can defeat me in battle by strength alone, dear one, except for a knower of Brahman, who is steadfast in penance and vows.
api caitanmayā rājannārade'pi niveditam। vyāse caiva bhayātkāryaṃ tau cobhau māmavocatām ॥5-187-16॥
O king, I have informed both Nārada and Vyāsa about this out of fear, and they both have spoken to me.
na viṣādastvayā kāryo bhīṣma kāśisutāṃ prati। daivaṃ puruṣakāreṇa ko nivartitumutsaheta ॥5-187-17॥
O Bhishma, do not despair regarding the daughter of Kashi. Who can reverse destiny with mere human effort?
sā tu kanyā mahārāja praviśyāśramamaṇḍalam। yamunātīramāśritya tapastepe'timānuṣam ॥5-187-18॥
The girl, after entering the hermitage circle and resorting to the bank of Yamuna, performed penance that was beyond human capabilities, O great king.
nirāhārā kṛśā rūkṣā jaṭilā malapaṅkinī। ṣaṇmāsānvāyubhakṣā ca sthāṇubhūtā tapodhanā ॥5-187-19॥
She was without food, emaciated, rough, with matted hair, covered in dirt, subsisting on air for six months, and stood motionless, rich in penance.
yamunātīram āsādya saṁvatsaram athāparam। udavāsaṁ nirāhārā pārayāmāsa bhāminī ॥5-187-20॥
The lady, having reached the bank of the Yamuna, spent another year there living without food.
śīrṇaparṇena caikena pārayāmāsa cāparam। saṃvatsaraṃ tīvrakopā pādāṅguṣṭhāgradhiṣṭhitā ॥5-187-21॥
With just a dry leaf, she managed to cross over another. She stood on the tip of her big toe for a year, filled with intense anger.
evaṃ dvādaśa varṣāṇi tāpayāmāsa rodasī। nivartyamānāpi tu sā jñātibhirnaiva śakyate ॥5-187-22॥
For twelve years, she tormented the heavens and the earth. Despite her relatives' attempts to restrain her, she could not be controlled.
tato'gamadvatsabhūmiṃ siddhacāraṇasevitām। āśramaṃ puṇyaśīlānāṃ tāpasānāṃ mahātmanām ॥5-187-23॥
Then he went to the land of Vatsa, a place inhabited by sages and bards, to the hermitage of virtuous ascetics and great souls.
tatra puṇyeṣu deśeṣu sāplutāṅgī divāniśam। vyacaratkāśikanyā sā yathākāmavicāriṇī ॥5-187-24॥
In those sacred places, the princess of Kashi, having bathed, roamed freely day and night as she wished.
nandāśrame mahārāja tatolūkāśrame śubhe। cyavanasyāśrame caiva brahmaṇaḥ sthāna eva ca ॥5-187-25॥
O great king, you visited the hermitage of Nanda, then the auspicious hermitage of Uluka, and also the hermitage of Cyavana, as well as the abode of Brahma.
prayāge devayajane devāraṇyeṣu caiva ha। bhogavatyāṃ tathā rājankauśikasyāśrame tathā ॥5-187-26॥
In Prayaga, during the sacrifice to the gods, in the divine forests, and certainly in Bhogavati, O king, also in the hermitage of Kaushika.
māṇḍavyasyāśrame rājandilīpasyāśrame tathā। rāmahrade ca kauravya pailagārgyasya cāśrame ॥5-187-27॥
O King, in the hermitages of Māṇḍavya and Dilīpa, as well as in the lake of Rāma, and in the hermitages of the descendants of Kuru, Paila, and Gārgya.
eteṣu tīrtheṣu tadā kāśikanyā viśāṃ pate। āplāvayata gātrāṇi tīvramāsthāya vai tapaḥ ॥5-187-28॥
Then, in those sacred places, the maiden from Kashi, O lord of the people, bathed her body, engaging in intense penance.
tāmabravītkauraveya mama mātā jalotthitā। kimarthaṃ kliśyase bhadre tathyametadbravīhi me ॥5-187-29॥
The son of Kuru said to her, "My mother, who was born of water, asked, 'O gentle lady, why are you troubled? Please tell me the truth.'"
sainām athābravīd rājan kṛtāñjalir aninditā। bhīṣmo rāmeṇa samare na jitaś cārulocane ॥5-187-30॥
Then, O king, the blameless one with folded hands addressed her: Bhishma was not defeated by Rama in battle, O beautiful-eyed lady.
ko'nyastamutsahejjetumudyateṣuṃ mahīpatim। sāhaṃ bhīṣmavināśāya tapastapsye sudāruṇam ॥5-187-31॥
Who else can conquer the king who has raised his arrow? I will undertake very severe penance to bring about the destruction of Bhishma.
carāmi pṛthivīṃ devi yathā hanyāmahaṃ nṛpam। etadvrataphalaṃ dehe parasmimsyādyathā hi me ॥5-187-32॥
I wander the earth, O goddess, with the intent to kill the king. The fruit of this vow may manifest in another body, as it is indeed mine.
tato'bravītsāgaragā jihmaṃ carasi bhāmini। naiṣa kāmo'navadyāṅgi śakyaḥ prāptuṃ tvayābale ॥5-187-33॥
Then the river deity said, "You are moving in a crooked manner, O beautiful lady. This desire cannot be fulfilled by you, O lady with flawless limbs, as you are weak."
yadi bhīṣmavināśāya kāśye carasi vai vratam। vratasthā ca śarīraṃ tvaṃ yadi nāma vimokṣyasi ॥ nadī bhaviṣyasi śubhe kuṭilā vārṣikodakā ॥5-187-34॥
If you undertake a vow in Kashi for the destruction of Bhishma and fulfill it by releasing your body, you will transform into a river, O auspicious lady, with winding, seasonal waters.
dustīrthā cānabhijñeyā vārṣikī nāṣṭamāsikī। bhīmagrāhavatī ghorā sarvabhūtabhayaṅkarī ॥5-187-35॥
It is a difficult crossing, unknown and annual, occurring every eight months, with terrible obstacles, frightening and causing fear to all beings.
evamuktvā tato rājan kāśikanyāṃ nyavartata। mātā mama mahābhāgā smayamāneva bhāminī ॥5-187-36॥
Thus, having spoken, the Kashi princess returned, O king. My mother, the fortunate lady, seemed to be smiling.
kadācidaṣṭame māsi kadāciddaśame tathā। na prāśnītodakamapi punaḥ sā varavarṇinī ॥5-187-37॥
Sometimes in the eighth month and sometimes in the tenth, the beautiful woman did not even drink water again.
sā vatsabhūmiṃ kauravya tīrthalobhāttatastataḥ। patitā paridhāvantī punaḥ kāśipateḥ sutā ॥5-187-38॥
The daughter of the king of Kashi, driven by her desire for pilgrimage, found herself in the land of Vatsa, where she wandered aimlessly, having fallen and risen again.
sā nadī vatsabhūmyāṃ tu prathitāmbe'ti bhārata। vārṣikī grāhabahulā dustīrthā kuṭilā tathā ॥5-187-39॥
O Bharata, that river in the land of Vatsa is renowned as 'O mother'. During the rainy season, it becomes full of crocodiles, difficult to cross, and winding.
sā kanyā tapasā tena bhāgārdhena vyajāyata। nadī ca rājanvatseṣu kanyā caivābhavattadā ॥5-187-40॥
The girl was born through penance and a half portion. Then, O king, the river among the Vatsas became the girl.
