भीष्म उवाच न रोचते विग्रहो मे पाण्डुपुत्रैः कथंचन। यथैव धृतराष्ट्रो मे तथा पाण्डुरसंशयम्॥
Bhishma said: O Dhritarashtra, I can never consent to a quarrel with the sons of Pandu. There is no doubt Pandu was to me as you are to me.
गान्धार्याश्च यथा पुत्रास्तथा कुन्तीसुता मम। यथा च मम ते रक्ष्या धृतराष्ट्र तथा तव॥
The sons of Gandhari are (as dear) to me as the sons of Kunti. O Dhritarashtra, they are to be protected as much by me as you.
यथा च मम राज्ञश्च तथा दुर्योधनस्य ते। तथा कुरूणां सर्वेषामन्येषामपि पार्थिव॥
O king, they are as much dear to me as prince Duryodhana and other Kurus.
एवं गते विग्रहं तैर्न रोचे संधाय वीरैर्दीयतामर्धभूमिः। तेषामपीदं प्रपितामहानां राज्यं पितुश्चैव कुरूत्तमानाम्॥
Therefore, I can never like a quarrel with them. Conclude a treaty with those heroes and give them the half of the kingdom. There is no doubt that this is the ancestral kingdom of those best of the Kurus (the Pandavas).
दुर्योधन यथा राज्यं त्वमिदं तात पश्यसि। मम पैतृकमित्येवं तेऽपि पश्यन्ति पाण्डवाः॥
O Duryodhana, as you consider this kingdom as your paternal property, so do the Pandavas consider this their paternal property.
यदि राज्यं न ते प्राप्ताः पाण्डवेया यशस्विनः। कुत एव तवापीदं भारतस्यापि कस्यचित्॥
If the illustrious sons of Pandu do not get the kingdom, how can it be yours or of any descendant of the Bharata race?
अधर्मेण च राज्यं त्वं प्राप्तवान् भरतर्षभ। तेऽपि राज्यमनुप्राप्ताः पूर्वमेवेति मे मतिः॥
O best of the Bharata race, if you think you have rightfully come into the possession of the kingdom, I think, they can consider also that they have rightfully come to the possession of the kingdom before you.
मधुरेणैव राज्यस्य तेषामधु प्रदीयताम्। एतद्धि पुरुषव्याघ्र हितं सर्वजनस्य च॥
Give them in peace the half of the kingdom. O best of men, this is for the good of all.
अतोऽन्यथा चेत् क्रियते न हितं नो भविष्यति। तवाप्यकीर्तिः सकला भविष्यति न संशयः॥
If you act otherwise, no good will come to any of us. There is no doubt we all will be covered with dishonour.
कीर्तिरक्षणमातिष्ठ कीर्तिर्हि परमं बलम्। नष्टकीर्तेर्मनुष्यस्य जीवितं ह्यफलं स्मृतम्॥
Try to maintain your good name. A good name is the source of one's strength. It is said that a man, whose reputation is gone, lives in vain.
यावत्कीर्तिर्मनुष्यस्य न प्रणश्यति कौरव। तावज्जीवति गान्धारे नष्टकीर्तिस्तु नश्यति॥
O descendant of Kuru, O son of Gandhari, a man not die so long his reputation exists. One lives as long as his fame lasts; he dies when his reputation is gone.
तमिमं समुपातिष्ठ धर्मं कुरुकुलोचितम्। अनुरूपं महाबाहो पूर्वेषामात्मनः कुरु॥
Therefore, follow the practice that is worthy of the Kuru race. O mighty-armed hero, act as your forefathers did before you.
दिष्ट्या ध्रियन्ते पार्था हि दिष्ट्या जीवति सा पृथा। दिष्ट्या पुरोचनः पापो न सकामोऽत्ययं गतः॥
It is fortunate for us that the sons of Pritha are alive; It is fortunate that the sinful Purochana, without being successful (in his evil design), himself perished.
यदा प्रभृति दग्धास्ते कुन्तिभोजसुतासुताः। तदा प्रभृति गान्धारे न शक्नोम्यभिवीक्षितुम्॥ लोके प्राणभृतां कंचिच्छ्रुत्वा कुन्ती तथागताम्। न चापि दोषेण तथा लोको मन्येत् पुरोचनम्। यथा त्वां पुरुषव्याघ्र लोको दोषेण गच्छति॥
O son of Gandhari, from that time when I heard that the sons of Kunti Bhoja's daughter had been burnt to death, I could not meet with any living creatures. O best of men, hearing the way in which Kunti was killed, men do not consider Purochana so much guilty as they consider you.
तदिदं जीवितं तेषां तव किल्विपनाशनम्। सम्मन्तव्यं महाराज पाण्डवानां च दर्शनम्॥
O king, therefore the escape of the sons of Pandu from that conflagration and their present reappearance remove your bad repute.
न चापि तेषां वीराणां जीवतां कुरुनन्दन। पित्र्योंऽशः शक्य आदातुमपि वज्रभृता स्वयम्॥
O descendant of Kuru, know that as long as those heroes (the Pandavas) live, the wielder of thunder (Indra) himself cannot deprive them of their paternal property.
ते सर्वेऽवस्थिता धर्मे सर्वे चैवैकचेतसः। अधर्मेण निरस्ताश्च तुल्ये राज्ये विशेषतः॥
They are virtuous and united; they are unjustly kept out of their equal share in the kingdom.
यदि धर्मस्त्वया कार्यो यदि कार्यं प्रियं च मे। क्षेमं च यदि कर्तव्यं तेषामधु प्रदीयताम्॥
If you want to act justly, if you want to act what is pleasing to me, if you want to seek the welfare of all, then give them the half of the kingdom.