05.194
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya spoke:
prabhātāyāṃ tu śarvaryāṃ punareva sutastava। madhye sarvasya sainyasya pitāmahamapṛcchat ॥5-194-1॥
In the morning, your son once again asked the grandfather amidst the entire army.
pāṇḍaveyasya gāṅgeya yadetatsainyamuttamam। prabhūtanaranāgāśvaṃ mahārathasamākulam ॥5-194-2॥
O son of Ganga, this excellent army of the Pandavas is filled with numerous men, elephants, horses, and great chariots.
bhīmārjunaprabhṛtibhirmaheṣvāsairmahābalaiḥ। lokapālopamairguptaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamaiḥ ॥5-194-3॥
The mighty warriors, including Bhima and Arjuna, who were great archers and as powerful as the protectors of the world, were led by Dhrishtadyumna.
apradhr̥ṣyamanāvāryamudvr̥ttamiva sāgaram। senāsāgaramakṣobhyamapi devairmahāhave ॥5-194-4॥
The army, vast and unyielding like a swelling ocean, was unassailable and unstoppable, remaining unshaken even by the gods in the great battle.
kena kālena gāṅgeya kṣapayethā mahādyute। ācāryo vā maheṣvāsaḥ kṛpo vā sumahābalaḥ ॥5-194-5॥
O son of Ganga, by what time will you, O great warrior, destroy either the teacher or the great archer Kripa, or the very strong one?
karṇo vā samaraślāghī drauṇirvā dvijasattamaḥ। divyāstraviduṣaḥ sarve bhavanto hi bale mama ॥5-194-6॥
Karna or the battle-boaster, or Drona's son, the best among the twice-born, all of you are indeed knowers of divine weapons and are my strength.
etadicchāmyahaṃ jñātuṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me। hṛdi nityaṃ mahābāho vaktumarhasi tanmama ॥5-194-7॥
O mighty-armed one, I have a great curiosity to know this. It is always in my heart, and you should tell me about it.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said:
anurūpaṃ kuruśreṣṭha tvayyetatpṛthivīpate। balābalamamitrāṇāṃ sveṣāṃ ca yadi pṛcchasi ॥5-194-8॥
O esteemed leader of the Kurus, it is fitting for you, O ruler of the earth, to inquire about the strengths and weaknesses of both your own forces and those of the adversaries.
śṛṇu rājanmama raṇe yā śaktiḥ paramā bhavet। astravīryaṃ raṇe yacca bhujayośca mahābhuja ॥5-194-9॥
O king, listen to my supreme power in battle, which is the strength of weapons and arms, O mighty-armed one.
ārjavenaiva yuddhena yoddhavya itaro janaḥ। māyāyuddhena māyāvī ityetaddharmaniścayaḥ ॥5-194-10॥
A straightforward person must engage in battle with honesty, while a deceitful person uses deceitful means. This is the determination of duty.
hanyāmahaṃ mahābāho pāṇḍavānāmanīkinīm। divase divase kṛtvā bhāgaṃ prāgāhnikaṃ mama ॥5-194-11॥
O mighty-armed one, I would destroy the army of the Pandavas day by day, fulfilling my morning duties.
yodhānāṃ daśasāhasraṃ kṛtvā bhāgaṃ mahādyute। sahasraṃ rathināmekameṣa bhāgo mato mama ॥5-194-12॥
O great one, I consider the share of ten thousand warriors equivalent to the share of one thousand charioteers.
anenāhaṃ vidhānena saṃnaddhaḥ satatotthitaḥ। kṣapayeyam mahatsainyaṃ kālenānena bhārata ॥5-194-13॥
With this strategy, I am ever-ready and vigilant, and I shall be able to destroy the mighty army in due course, O Bharata.
yadi tvastrāṇi muñceyaṃ mahānti samare sthitaḥ। śatasāhasraghātīni hanyāṃ māsena bhārata ॥5-194-14॥
If you, O Bharata, were to release your great weapons while standing in battle, I could slay hundreds of thousands within a month.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
śrutvā bhīṣmasya tadvākyaṃ rājā duryodhanastadā। paryapṛcchata rājendra droṇamaṅgirasāṃ varam ॥5-194-15॥
Upon hearing Bhishma's words, King Duryodhana then asked King Drona, the best among the Angirasa lineage, for guidance.
ācārya kena kālena pāṇḍuputrasya sainikān। nihanyā iti taṃ droṇaḥ pratyuvāca hasanniva ॥5-194-16॥
The teacher, Drona, replied with a smile, "By whom and when will the soldiers of the Pandu's son be killed?"
sthaviro'smi kuruśreṣṭha mandaprāṇaviceṣṭitaḥ। astrāgninā nirdaheyaṃ pāṇḍavānāmanīkinīm ॥5-194-17॥
I am aged and slow, O best of the Kurus, but I would still burn the Pandavas' army with my fiery weapon.
yathā bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo māsaneti matirmama। eṣā me paramā śaktiretanme paramaṃ balam ॥5-194-18॥
Just as Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, achieved his goals in a month, this is my firm belief. This is my greatest power and my ultimate strength.
dvābhyāmeva tu māsābhyāṁ kṛpaḥ śāradvato'bravīt। drauṇistu daśarātreṇa pratijajñe balakṣayam ॥ karṇastu pañcarātreṇa pratijajñe mahāstravit ॥5-194-19॥
Kṛpa, the son of Śāradvata, declared that it would take two months. However, Droṇa's son promised to destroy the forces in ten nights, while Karṇa, known for his great skill with weapons, promised to do it in five nights.
tacchrutvā sūtaputrasya vākyaṃ sāgaragāsutaḥ। jahāsa sasvanaṃ hāsaṃ vākyaṃ cedamuvāca ha ॥5-194-20॥
Upon hearing the words of the charioteer's son, the son of the ocean laughed loudly and then spoke these words.
na hi tāvadraṇe pārthaṃ bāṇakhaḍgadhanurdharam। vāsudevasamāyuktaṃ rathenodyantamacyutam ॥5-194-21॥
In battle, Arjuna, equipped with arrows, sword, and bow, accompanied by Vasudeva, rises on his chariot as the infallible one.
samāgacchasi rādheya tenaivamabhimanyase। śakyamevaṃ ca bhūyaśca tvayā vaktuṃ yatheṣṭataḥ ॥5-194-22॥
O son of Radha, you meet and thus think. It is indeed possible for you to speak again as you wish.
