12.046
Pancharatra: Understanding Bhishma is meditating on him, Lord Krishna readies to visit him, also asks Yudhisthira to ask the most knowledgeable Bhishma about the duties pertaining to the four Vedas, the four officiating priests, the four stages of life, and the four social classes.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
किमिदं परमाश्चर्यं ध्यायस्यमितविक्रम। कच्चिल्लोकत्रयस्यास्य स्वस्ति लोकपरायण ॥१२-४६-१॥
What is this supreme wonder you are contemplating, O hero of immeasurable valor? Is everything well with these three worlds, O protector of all?
चतुर्थं ध्यानमार्गं त्वमालम्ब्य पुरुषोत्तम। अपक्रान्तो यतो देव तेन मे विस्मितं मनः ॥१२-४६-२॥
O Supreme Person, when you resorted to the fourth path of meditation and departed, O Lord, my mind was astonished by that.
निगृहीतो हि वायुस्ते पञ्चकर्मा शरीरगः। इन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि मनसि स्थापितानि ते ॥१२-४६-३॥
Your breath, which performs five functions and moves within the body, is indeed restrained; and all your senses have been placed in your mind.
इन्द्रियाणि मनश्चैव बुद्धौ संवेशितानि ते। सर्वश्चैव गणो देव क्षेत्रज्ञे ते निवेशितः ॥१२-४६-४॥
O divine one, all your senses, mind, and intellect are established in your knower of the field.
नेङ्गन्ति तव रोमाणि स्थिरा बुद्धिस्तथा मनः। स्थाणुकुड्यशिलाभूतो निरीहश्चासि माधव ॥१२-४६-५॥
O Mādhava, your hairs do not stand on end, your intellect and mind remain steady; you have become like a pillar, a wall, or a stone, and are without initiative.
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो निरिङ्गो ज्वलतेऽच्युत। तथासि भगवन्देव निश्चलो दृढनिश्चयः ॥१२-४६-६॥
Just as a lamp burns steadily in a windless place without flickering, O Acyuta, so you, O Lord, O God, are unwavering and firm in your resolve.
यदि श्रोतुमिहार्हामि न रहस्यं च ते यदि। छिन्धि मे संशयं देव प्रपन्नायाभियाचते ॥१२-४६-७॥
If I am worthy to hear it here, and if your secret is not to be withheld, O divine one, dispel my doubt for I am one who has taken refuge and am earnestly requesting.
त्वं हि कर्ता विकर्ता च त्वं क्षरं चाक्षरं च हि। अनादिनिधनश्चाद्यस्त्वमेव पुरुषोत्तम ॥१२-४६-८॥
You are truly the creator and transformer; you are both the perishable and the imperishable. You are without beginning or end, the primal one; you alone are the Supreme Person.
त्वत्प्रपन्नाय भक्ताय शिरसा प्रणताय च। ध्यानस्यास्य यथातत्त्वं ब्रूहि धर्मभृतां वर ॥१२-४६-९॥
O best of the upholders of dharma, to one who has surrendered to you, who is devoted and has bowed his head, please explain the true nature of this meditation as it truly is.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
ततः स्वगोचरे न्यस्य मनो बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि च। स्मितपूर्वमुवाचेदं भगवान्वासवानुजः ॥१२-४६-१०॥
Then, the revered younger brother of Vāsava (Indra), having composed his mind, intellect, and senses in his own domain, spoke these words with a gentle smile.
शरतल्पगतो भीष्मः शाम्यन्निव हुताशनः। मां ध्याति पुरुषव्याघ्रस्ततो मे तद्गतं मनः ॥१२-४६-११॥
Bhishma, lying on his bed of arrows and calming like a dying fire, is meditating on me, O tiger among men; therefore, my mind is with him.
यस्य ज्यातलनिर्घोषं विस्फूर्जितमिवाशनेः। न सहेद्देवराजोऽपि तमस्मि मनसा गतः ॥१२-४६-१२॥
The one whose bowstring's twang resounds like the thunderbolt's roar—even the king of the gods could not withstand him; my mind has already gone to him.
येनाभिद्रुत्य तरसा समस्तं राजमण्डलम्। ऊढास्तिस्रः पुरा कन्यास्तमस्मि मनसा गतः ॥१२-४६-१३॥
He, by whom the entire royal circle was swiftly overcome and who once carried away three maidens, to him my mind has gone.
त्रयोविंशतिरात्रं यो योधयामास भार्गवम्। न च रामेण निस्तीर्णस्तमस्मि मनसा गतः ॥१२-४६-१४॥
I fought Bhārgava (Paraśurāma) for twenty-three nights, but I have not overcome him by Rāma; in my mind, I have departed from that.
यं गङ्गा गर्भविधिना धारयामास पार्थिवम्। वसिष्ठशिष्यं तं तात मनसास्मि गतो नृप ॥१२-४६-१५॥
O father, my mind has gone to him whom Gaṅgā bore by the process of conception, the king, the disciple of Vasiṣṭha, O king.
दिव्यास्त्राणि महातेजा यो धारयति बुद्धिमान्। साङ्गांश्च चतुरो वेदांस्तमस्मि मनसा गतः ॥१२-४६-१६॥
I have mentally approached the wise one who possesses divine weapons of great brilliance and who has mastered the four Vedas along with their auxiliaries.
रामस्य दयितं शिष्यं जामदग्न्यस्य पाण्डव। आधारं सर्वविद्यानां तमस्मि मनसा गतः ॥१२-४६-१७॥
O Pāṇḍava, I have mentally reached him who is the beloved disciple of Rāma, of Jāmadagnya, and the support of all knowledge.
एकीकृत्येन्द्रियग्रामं मनः संयम्य मेधया। शरणं मामुपागच्छत्ततो मे तद्गतं मनः ॥१२-४६-१८॥
Having controlled his senses and mind by intelligence, he sought refuge in me; then my mind became absorbed in him.
स हि भूतं च भव्यं च भवच्च पुरुषर्षभ। वेत्ति धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठस्ततो मे तद्गतं मनः ॥१२-४६-१९॥
He, O bull among men, indeed knows the past, the future, and the present, being the best among the upholders of dharma; therefore, my mind has gone to him.
तस्मिन्हि पुरुषव्याघ्रे कर्मभिः स्वैर्दिवं गते। भविष्यति मही पार्थ नष्टचन्द्रेव शर्वरी ॥१२-४६-२०॥
O Pārtha, when that tiger among men has gone to heaven by his own actions, the earth will become like a night bereft of the moon.
तद्युधिष्ठिर गाङ्गेयं भीष्मं भीमपराक्रमम्। अभिगम्योपसङ्गृह्य पृच्छ यत्ते मनोगतम् ॥१२-४६-२१॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, approach and salute Bhishma, the son of Ganga and of mighty prowess, and ask him whatever is in your mind.
चातुर्वेद्यं चातुर्होत्रं चातुराश्रम्यमेव च। चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य धर्मं च पृच्छैनं पृथिवीपते ॥१२-४६-२२॥
O king, ask him about the duties pertaining to the four Vedas, the four officiating priests, the four stages of life, and the four social classes.
तस्मिन्नस्तमिते भीष्मे कौरवाणां धुरन्धरे। ज्ञानान्यल्पीभविष्यन्ति तस्मात्त्वां चोदयाम्यहम् ॥१२-४६-२३॥
When Bhishma, the chief pillar of the Kauravas, has departed, wisdom will diminish; therefore, I urge you.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वासुदेवस्य तथ्यं वचनमुत्तमम्। साश्रुकण्ठः स धर्मज्ञो जनार्दनमुवाच ह ॥१२-४६-२४॥
When he heard that true and excellent speech of Vāsudeva, the dharma-knowing one, his throat choked with tears, spoke to Janārdana.
यद्भवानाह भीष्मस्य प्रभावं प्रति माधव। तथा तन्नात्र संदेहो विद्यते मम मानद ॥१२-४६-२५॥
O Mādhava, what you have said about Bhīṣma's power, I have no doubt about that here, O giver of honor.
महाभाग्यं हि भीष्मस्य प्रभावश्च महात्मनः। श्रुतं मया कथयतां ब्राह्मणानां महात्मनाम् ॥१२-४६-२६॥
Indeed, I have heard of the great fortune and power of Bhīṣma from the Brāhmaṇas, those great-souled narrators.
भवांश्च कर्ता लोकानां यद्ब्रवीत्यरिसूदन। तथा तदनभिध्येयं वाक्यं यादवनन्दन ॥१२-४६-२७॥
O delight of the Yādavas, you are the doer of the worlds; whatever you say, O destroyer of enemies, that statement is not to be disregarded.
यतस्त्वनुग्रहकृता बुद्धिस्ते मयि माधव। त्वामग्रतः पुरस्कृत्य भीष्मं पश्यामहे वयम् ॥१२-४६-२८॥
O Mādhava, because my intellect is made by your favor, having placed you before us, we see Bhīṣma.
आवृत्ते भगवत्यर्के स हि लोकान्गमिष्यति। त्वद्दर्शनं महाबाहो तस्मादर्हति कौरवः ॥१२-४६-२९॥
When the divine Sun returns, he will depart for the worlds. Therefore, O mighty-armed one, the Kaurava deserves to see you.
तव ह्याद्यस्य देवस्य क्षरस्यैवाक्षरस्य च। दर्शनं तस्य लाभः स्यात्त्वं हि ब्रह्ममयो निधिः ॥१२-४६-३०॥
Truly, you are the primordial god, both the perishable and the imperishable; to see you is the highest attainment, for you are indeed the treasure composed of Brahman.
श्रुत्वैतद्धर्मराजस्य वचनं मधुसूदनः। पार्श्वस्थं सात्यकिं प्राह रथो मे युज्यतामिति ॥१२-४६-३१॥
After hearing these words of Dharmarāja, Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) said to Sātyaki, who was standing nearby, "Let my chariot be yoked."
सात्यकिस्तूपनिष्क्रम्य केशवस्य समीपतः। दारुकं प्राह कृष्णस्य युज्यतां रथ इत्युत ॥१२-४६-३२॥
Sātyaki, having come out from near Keśava, said to Dāruka, 'Let Kṛṣṇa's chariot be yoked.'
स सात्यकेराशु वचो निशम्य; रथोत्तमं काञ्चनभूषिताङ्गम्। मसारगल्वर्कमयैर्विभङ्गै; र्विभूषितं हेमपिनद्धचक्रम् ॥१२-४६-३३॥
He, upon quickly hearing Sātyaki's words, saw the finest chariot, its body adorned with gold, decorated with divisions of pearl and coral, and wheels bound in gold.
दिवाकरांशुप्रभमाशुगामिनं; विचित्रनानामणिरत्नभूषितम्। नवोदितं सूर्यमिव प्रतापिनं; विचित्रतार्क्ष्यध्वजिनं पताकिनम् ॥१२-४६-३४॥
It shone with the brilliance of the sun's rays and moved swiftly, adorned with many kinds of variegated gems and jewels. Newly risen and radiant like the sun, it bore a flag with a variegated Garuda emblem.
सुग्रीवसैन्यप्रमुखैर्वराश्वै; र्मनोजवैः काञ्चनभूषिताङ्गैः। सुयुक्तमावेदयदच्युताय; कृताञ्जलिर्दारुको राजसिंह ॥१२-४६-३५॥
Dāruka, the lion among kings, with joined palms, reported to Acyuta (Kṛṣṇa) that the well-yoked chariot, adorned with gold and drawn by excellent horses as swift as the mind, was ready, accompanied by the chiefs of Sugrīva's army.
