12.050
Pancharatra: Krishna praises Bhishma for his knowledge and ask him to dispel the doubts of King Yudhishthira.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
tato rāmasya tatkarma śrutvā rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatvā pratyuvāca janārdanam ॥12-50-1॥
Then, when King Yudhiṣṭhira heard of that deed of Rāma, he was greatly astonished and spoke to Janārdana.
aho rāmasya vārṣṇeya śakrasyeva mahātmanaḥ। vikramo yena vasudhā krodhānniḥkṣatriyā kṛtā ॥12-50-2॥
O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, indeed, such is the valour of the great-souled Rāma, like that of Śakra, by whom, out of anger, the earth was made devoid of kṣatriyas.
gobhiḥ samudreṇa tathā golāṅgūlarkṣavānaraiḥ। guptā rāmabhayodvignāḥ kṣatriyāṇāṃ kulodvahāḥ ॥12-50-3॥
The best among the kṣatriya families, disturbed by fear of Rāma, were protected by cows, the ocean, and also by monkeys, bears, and langurs.
aho dhanyo hi loko'yaṃ sabhāgyāś ca narā bhuvi। yatra karmedṛśaṃ dharmyaṃ dvijena kṛtam acyuta ॥12-50-4॥
O Acyuta, indeed this world is blessed, and the men on earth are fortunate, where such a righteous act is performed by a Brāhmaṇa.
tathā yāntau tadā tāta tāvacyutayudhiṣṭhirau। jagmaturyatra gāṅgeyaḥ śaratalpagataḥ prabhuḥ ॥12-50-5॥
Thus, O dear one, at that time, Acyuta and Yudhiṣṭhira both went to where Bhīṣma, the son of Gaṅgā, the lord, was lying on his bed of arrows.
tataste dadṛśurbhīṣmaṃ śaraprastaraśāyinam। svaraśmijālasaṃvītaṃ sāyaṃsūryamivānalam ॥12-50-6॥
Then they saw Bhishma lying on a bed of arrows, covered in a net of rays, resembling the evening sun or a blazing fire.
upāsyamānaṃ munibhir devair iva śatakratum। deśe paramadharmiṣṭhe nadī-moghavatīm anu ॥12-50-7॥
In the supremely righteous land along the river Amoghavatī, he was worshipped by sages and gods as Indra is worshipped.
dūrādeva tamālokya kṛṣṇo rājā ca dharmarāṭ। catvāraḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva te ca śāradvatādayaḥ ॥12-50-8॥
Seeing him from afar, Kṛṣṇa, the king, Dharmarāja, the four Pāṇḍavas, and Śāradvat and the others were present.
avaskandyātha vāhebhyaḥ saṃyamya pracalaṃ manaḥ। ekīkṛtyendriyagrāmamupatasthurmahāmunīn ॥12-50-9॥
Then, having alighted from their vehicles, restraining their restless minds and uniting their senses, they approached the great sages.
abhivādya ca govindaḥ sātyakis te ca kauravāḥ। vyāsādīṃs tān ṛṣīn paścād gāṅgeyam upatasthire ॥12-50-10॥
After offering salutations, Govinda, Sātyaki, and the Kauravas, along with Vyāsa and the other sages, then approached Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma).
tapovṛddhiṃ tataḥ pṛṣṭvā gāṅgeyaṃ yadukauravāḥ। parivārya tataḥ sarve niṣeduḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ ॥12-50-11॥
After inquiring about the growth of asceticism, the Yadus and Kauravas, having surrounded Bhishma, the son of Ganga, all those foremost among men then sat down.
tato niśamya gāṅgeyaṃ śāmyamānam ivānalam। kiñcid dīnam anā bhīṣmam iti hovāca keśavaḥ ॥12-50-12॥
Then, seeing Bhishma, the son of Ganga, being subdued like a dying fire and somewhat dejected in mind, Keshava spoke these words.
kaccijjñānāni te rājanprasannāni yathā purā। kaccidavyākulā caiva buddhiste vadatāṃ vara ॥12-50-13॥
O king, are your knowledges as clear as before? And is your intellect truly undisturbed, O best of speakers?
śarābhighātaduḥkhātte kaccidgātraṃ na dūyate। mānasādapi duḥkhāddhi śārīraṃ balavattaram ॥12-50-14॥
Is your body not afflicted by the pain of being struck by arrows? For indeed, bodily pain is stronger than mental pain.
varadānātpituḥ kāmaṃ chandamṛtyurasi prabho। śantanordharmaśīlasya na tvetacchamakāraṇam ॥12-50-15॥
Because of your father's boon, you truly have the power to die at will, O lord; but for Śantanu, who is righteous, this is not a reason for you to be appeased.
susūkṣmo'piha dehe vai śalyo janayate rujam। kiṃ punaḥ śarasaṅghātaiścitasy a tava bhārata ॥12-50-16॥
Even a very fine thorn in the body causes pain; how much more so will masses of arrows in your body, O Bhārata?
kāmaṃ naitat tavākhyeyaṃ prāṇināṃ prabhavāpyayau। bhavān hy upadiśec chreyo devānām api bhārata॥12-50-17॥
Truly, this is not to be revealed to you—the origin and dissolution of living beings. You, O Bhārata, are worthy to instruct even the gods in the highest good.
yaddhi bhūtaṃ bhaviṣyacca bhavacca puruṣarṣabha। sarvaṃ tajjñānavṛddhasya tava pāṇāvivāhitam ॥12-50-18॥
O best of men, all that is past, future, and present is, for one grown in knowledge, as if placed in your hand.
saṁsāraścaiva bhūtānāṁ dharmasya ca phalodayaḥ। viditaste mahāprājña tvaṁ hi brahmamayo nidhiḥ ॥12-50-19॥
O greatly wise one, the cycle of existence and the results of dharma for all beings are known to you; you truly are a treasure of Brahman.
tvāṃ hi rājye sthitaṃ sphīte samagrāṅgamarogiṇam। strīsahasraiḥ parivṛtaṃ paśyāmīhordhvaretasam ॥12-50-20॥
I see you here, established in a prosperous kingdom, healthy in every limb, surrounded by thousands of women, yet remaining celibate.
ṛte śāntanavād bhīṣmāt triṣu lokeṣu pārthiva। satyasaṃdhān mahāvīryāc chūrād dharmaikatatparāt ॥12-50-21॥
O king, in all the three worlds, except for Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, who is truthful, of great prowess, heroic, and solely devoted to dharma, there is no one else like him.
mṛtyum āvārya tarasā śaraprastaraśāyinaḥ। nisargaprabhavaṃ kiñcin na ca tātānuśuśruma ॥12-50-22॥
We have not heard from father anything natural about those who, by force, have warded off death and lie on a bed of arrows.
satye tapasi dāne ca yajñādhikaraṇe tathā। dhanurvede ca vede ca nityaṃ caivānvavekṣaṇe ॥12-50-23॥
One should always examine carefully in matters of truth, austerity, charity, sacrifice, the science of archery, and the Veda.
anṛśaṁsaṁ śuciṁ dāntaṁ sarvabhūtahite ratam। mahārathaṁ tvatsadṛśaṁ na kañcidanuśuśruma ॥12-50-24॥
We have never heard of anyone like you, who is not cruel, pure, self-controlled, engaged in the welfare of all beings, and a great chariot-warrior.
tvaṃ hi devān sagandharvān sasurāsurarākṣasān। śakta ekarathe naiva vijetuṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ ॥12-50-25॥
There is no doubt that you are capable of conquering the gods, Gandharvas, Suras, Asuras, and Rākṣasas with a single chariot.
tvaṃ hi bhīṣma mahābāho vasūnāṃ vāsavopamaḥ। nityaṃ vipraiḥ samākhyāto navamo'navamo guṇaiḥ ॥12-50-26॥
O Bhishma, you, mighty-armed, are indeed among the Vasus, equal to Indra; always proclaimed by the Brāhmaṇas as the ninth, and not inferior in qualities.
ahaṃ hi tvābhijānāmi yastvaṃ puruṣasattama। tridaśeṣvapi vikhyātaḥ svaśaktyā sumahābalaḥ ॥12-50-27॥
I truly know you, the best among men; you are famed even among the gods for your own immense power and great strength.
manuṣyeṣu manuṣyendra na dṛṣṭo na ca me śrutaḥ। bhavato yo guṇais tulyaḥ pṛthivyāṃ puruṣaḥ kvacit ॥12-50-28॥
O best of men, among all men, I have neither seen nor heard of any man anywhere on earth who is equal to you in qualities.
tvaṃ hi sarvair guṇai rājan devān apy atiricyase. tapasā hi bhavāñ śaktaḥ sraṣṭuṃ lokāṃś carācarān ॥12-50-29॥
O king, you truly surpass even the gods in all qualities. By your austerity, you are capable of creating all the worlds, both moving and unmoving.
tadasya tapyamānasya jñātīnāṃ saṅkṣayeṇa vai। jyeṣṭhasya pāṇḍuputrasya śokaṃ bhīṣma vyapānuda ॥12-50-30॥
Bhīṣma dispelled the grief of the eldest son of Pāṇḍu, who was tormented by the destruction of his kinsmen.
ye hi dharmāḥ samākhyātāś cāturvarṇyasya bhārata। cāturāśramyasaṃsṛṣṭās te sarve viditās tava ॥12-50-31॥
O Bhārata, all those dharmas that have been well-declared for the four varṇas and combined with the four āśramas are known to you.
cāturvedye ca ye proktāś cāturhotre ca bhārata। sāṅkhye yoge ca niyatā ye ca dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ ॥12-50-32॥
O Bhārata, those eternal dharmas which are declared in the four Vedas, in the four sacrificial fires, in Sāṅkhya, and in Yoga, and which are established.
cāturvarṇyena yaś caiko dharmo na sma virudhyate। sevyamānaḥ sa caivādyō gāṅgeya viditastava ॥12-50-33॥
O Gāṅgeya, that one dharma which is not opposed to the fourfold order, being observed, is known to you today.
itihāsapurāṇaṃ ca kārtsnyena viditaṃ tava। dharmaśāstraṃ ca sakalaṃ nityaṃ manasi te sthitam ॥12-50-34॥
You are thoroughly acquainted with history and the Purāṇas, and the entire Dharmaśāstra is always present in your mind.
ye ca kecana loke'sminnarthāḥ saṃśayakārakāḥ। teṣāṃ chettā nāsti loke tvadanyaḥ puruṣarṣabha ॥12-50-35॥
O bull among men, in this world, whatever matters cause doubt, there is no one other than you who can remove them.
sa pāṇḍaveyasya manaḥ-samutthitaṃ; narendra śokaṃ vyapakarṣa medhayā. bhavadvidhā hyuttamabuddhivistarā; vimuhyamānasya janasya śāntaye ॥12-50-36॥
O king, dispel the sorrow that has arisen in the mind of the son of Pāṇḍu by your wisdom. For those like you, endowed with great intellect and breadth, bring peace to those who are deluded. ॥12-50-36॥
