BHAGAVAT-YANA PARVA: Chapter 125

Speech of Bhishma

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः शान्तनवो भीष्मो दुर्योधनममर्षणम्। केशवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रोवाच भरतर्षभ॥
Vaishampayana said Then did the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, say to the wrathful Duryodhana, hearing the words of Keshava, O you best among the Bharata.

कृष्णेन वाक्यमुक्तोऽसि सुहृदां शममिच्छता। अन्वपद्यस्व तत् तात मा मन्युवशमन्वगाः॥
“By Krishna has been spoken the words of a friend wishing for peace; listen to that my dear son, and do not follow the lead if vindictiveness.

अकृत्वा वचनं तात केशवस्य महात्मनः। श्रेयो न जातु न सुखं न कल्याणमवाप्स्यसि॥
By not acting up to the words of the great souled Keshava, will you not be able to obtain prosperity nor happiness nor your good.

धर्म्यमर्थ्य महाबाहुराह त्वां तात केशवः। तदर्थमभिपद्यस्व मा राजन् नीनशः प्रजाः॥
The one of long arms, Keshava, has told you, my dear son, what will lead to virtue and to the obtainment of earthly good; and may you obtain that object, О king; do not destroy these living creatures.

ज्वलितां त्वमिमां लक्ष्मी भारती सर्वराजसु। जीवतो धृतराष्ट्रस्य दौरात्म्याद् भ्रंशयिष्यसि॥
Do not by your wicked deeds cause to break down this blazing prosperity of the Bharatas, among all kings while Dhritarashtra is alive.

आत्मानं च सहामात्यं सपुत्रभ्रातृबान्धवम्। अहमित्यनया बुद्ध्या जीविताद् भ्रंशयिष्यसि॥
Yourself with your ministers and with your sons, brothers and friends will be deprived of lives by your way-wardness and obstinacy.

अतिक्रामन् केशवस्य तथ्यं वचनमर्थवत्। पितुश्च भरतश्रेष्ठ विदुरस्य च धीमतः॥
By acting against the beneficial advice leading to the obtainment of earthly benefit of Keshava as also of your father and the wise Vidura, O foremost among the Bharatas,

मा कुलघ्नः कुपुरुषो दुर्मतिः कापथं गमः। मातरं पितरं चैव मा मज्जीः शोकसागरे॥
Do not bring about the extermination of your race; do not act like a wicked man of evil intellect and do not follow a wrong course. Do not drown your father and your mother in a sea of grief."

अथ द्रोणोऽब्रवीत् तत्र दुर्योधनमिदं वचः। अमर्षवशमापन्नं निःश्वसन्तं पुनः पुनः॥
Then did Drona say these words to Duryodhana there who was under the influence of wrath and breathing hard again and again.

धर्मार्थयुक्तं वचनमाह त्वां तात केशवः। तथा भीष्मः शान्तनवस्तज्जुषस्व नराधिप॥
“Keshava said words to you which are pregnant with virtue and profit, my dear son,; so did Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, O ruler of men, accept them.

प्राज्ञौ मेधाविनौ दान्तावर्थकामौ बहुश्रुतौ। आहतुस्त्वां हितं वाक्यं तज्जुषस्व नराधिप।॥
The two are wise, have intelligence, have their souls under control, know what leads to are, as virtue and to worldly good and they are vastly learned; they have told you beneficial words; O ruler of men, accept them.

अनुतिष्ठ महाप्राज्ञ कृष्णभीष्मौ यदूचतुः। माधवं बुद्धिमोहेन माऽवमंस्थाः परंतप॥
Follow, O greatly wise man, what the two, Krishna and Bhishma have said; do not from perverted understanding insult Madhava, O chastiser of foes.

ये त्वां प्रोत्साहयन्त्येते नैते कृत्याय कर्हिचित्। वैरं परेषां ग्रीवायां प्रतिमोक्ष्यन्ति संयुगे।॥
Those, who are now encouraging and supporting you, will hardly do any thing when the time comes; and they rather will throw the (act of bearing) hostilities on the shoulders of others.

मा जीधनः प्रजाः सर्वाः पुत्रान् भ्रातृस्तथैव च। वासुदेवार्जुनौ यत्र विद्ध्यजेयानलं हि तान्॥
Do not slay all these living creatures as also your sons and brothers; the side on which Vasudeva and Arjuna know unconquerable and invisible.

एतच्चैव मतं सत्यं सुहृदोः कृष्णभीष्मयोः। यदि नादास्यसे तात पश्चात् तप्स्यसि भारत॥
This is truly the opinion of your friend Krishna, and if you do not accept that, my dear son, you will grieve for it in the end, O Bharata,

यथोक्तं जामदग्न्येन भूयानेष ततोऽर्जुनः। कृष्णो हि देवकीपुत्रो देवैरपि सुदुःसहः। किं ते सुखप्रियेणेह प्रोक्तेन भरतर्षभ॥
Arjuna is still mightier than what the son of Jamadagni has described him to be; Krishna, the son of Devaki, is hard to vanquished even by gods, O best among the Bharatas, what is the use of telling you what is conducive to your happiness and ought therefore to be desired for by you.

एतत् ते सर्वमाख्यातं यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु। न हि त्वामुत्सहे वक्तुं भूयो भरतसत्तम॥
All this is described to you; do as you like; I do not wish to address you more, O best among the Bharatas.

वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्मिनं वाक्यान्तरे वाक्यं क्षत्तापि विदुरोऽब्रवीत्। दुर्योधनमभिप्रेक्ष्य धार्तराष्ट्रममर्षणम्॥
Vaishampayana said At the end of that speech did Kshattri Vidura also speak words looking at the wrathful son of Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana.

दुर्योधन न शोचामि त्वामहं भरतर्षभ। इमौ तु वृद्धौ शोचामि गान्धारी पितरं च ते॥
'Duryodhana, I do not grieve for you, O best among the Bharatas; I grieve for these two old people namely your father and Gandhari (your mother).

यावनाथौ चरिष्येते त्वया नाथेन दुर्हदा। हतमित्रौ हतामात्यौ लूनपक्षाविवाण्डजौ॥
Having yourself of wicked heart as their protector, they will wander about without any one (in a short time) with their friends slain and with ministers killed, like those born of eggs deprived of their wings.

भिक्षुको विचरिष्येते शोचन्तौ पृथिवीमिमाम्। कुलघ्नमीदृशं पापं जनयित्वा कुपूरुषम्॥
Grieving, they will wander about as beggars on the earth, having begotten such a wicked and vicious man, the exterminator of his race.

अथ दुर्योधनं राजा धृतराष्ट्रोऽभ्यभाषत। आसीनं भ्रातृभिः सार्धं राजभिः परिवारितम्॥
Then the king Dhritarashtra said to Duryodhana who was seated along with his brothers and surrounded by other kings,

दुर्योधन निबोधेदं शौरिणोक्तं महात्मना। आदत्स्व शिवमत्यन्तं योगक्षेमवदव्ययम्॥
"O Duryodhana, listen to this alive given by the great-souled Shouri; accept his words which are true, most beneficial, and conducive to our salvation.

अनेन हि सहायेन कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा। इष्टान् सर्वानभिप्रायान् प्राप्स्याम: सर्वराजसु॥
By the help of namely of Krishna of unblamable acts, we, of all other kings, shall obtain all desirable

सुसंहतः केशवेन तात गच्छ युधिष्ठिरम्। चर स्वस्त्ययनं कृत्स्नं भरतानामनामयम्॥
being well united with Keshava, my dear son, go to Yudhishthira and make arrangements for a ceremony for the good of the Bharatas (the Pandavas and Kurus united together).

वासुदेवेन तीर्थेन तात गच्छस्व संशमम्। कालप्राप्तमिदं मन्ये मा त्वं दुर्योधनातिगाः॥
By the help if Vasudeva, make peace (with the Pandavas); I think the proper time has now arrived; O Dhritarashtra, do not disobey me.

शमं चेद् याचमानं त्वं प्रत्याख्यास्यसि केशवम्। त्वदर्थमभिजल्पन्तं न तवास्त्यपराभवः॥
If you abandon peace which is begged from you for the accomplishment of your own good, then will victory never be yours."