राम उवाच प्रत्यक्षमेतल्लोकानां सर्वेषामेव भाविनि। यथाशक्त्या मया युद्धं कृतं वै पौरुषं परम्॥
Bhishma said In the very sight of all these persons O maiden, I have done better, according to the best of my power, and displayed my highest prowess.
न चैवमपि शक्नोमि भीष्मं शस्त्रभृतां वरम्। विशेषयितुमत्यर्थमुत्तमास्त्राणि दर्शयन्॥
And yet I have been unable to gain any superiority over Bhishma, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, though I have exerted to the very of my power.
एषा मे परमा शक्तिरेतन्मे परमं बलम्। यथेष्टं गम्यतां भद्रे किमन्यद् वा करोमि ते॥
This (which you have seen) is my highest might, this is greatest strength. Go whiter you like, O blessed lady. What else can I do for you?
भीष्ममेव प्रपद्यस्व न तेऽन्या विद्यते गतिः। निर्जितो ह्यस्मि भीष्मेण महास्त्राणि प्रमुञ्चता॥
Take refuge even with Bhishma himself; there exists no other for you. I am vanquished by Bhishma on account of his using such mighty weapons.
एवमुक्त्वा ततो रामो विनिःश्वस्य महामनाः। तूष्णीमांसीत् ततः कन्या प्रोवाच भृगुनन्दनम्॥
Then the high-souled Rama, having thus spoken, fetched a deep sign and remained silent. Then that maiden spoke to the descendant of Bhrigu.
भगवन्नेवमेवैतद् यथाऽऽहं भगवांस्तथा। अजेयो युधि भीष्मोऽयमपि देवरुदारधीः॥
"O holy one, it is even as your holy self has said. This Bhishma, of varied intelligence, is invincible in battle even by the very gods.
यथाशक्ति यथोत्साहं मम कार्यं कृतं त्वया। अनिवार्य रणे वीर्यमस्त्राणि विविधानि च।॥
To the best of your power and to the best of your energy you have accomplished my work, and in this battle you have shown irresistible might and diverse kinds of weapons.
न चैव शक्यते युद्धे विशेषयितुमन्ततः। न चाहमेनं यास्यामि पुनर्भीष्मं कथंचन॥ गमिष्यामि तु तत्राहं यत्र भीष्मं तपोधन। समरे पातयिष्यामि स्वयमेव भृगूद्वह॥
You have yet been unable to show any superiority (over Bhishma). As for me I shall not go again to this Bhishma. Thither, however, shall I repair, where, O you whose wealth is asceticism, I shall be able myself to (obtain the means to fell down in battle this Bhishma, O you the perpetuator of the race of Bhrigu."
एवमुक्त्वा ययौ कन्या रोषव्याकुललोचना। तापस्ये धृतसंकल्या सा मे चिन्तयती वधम्॥
Having spoken thus, that maid went away with eyes agitated with wrath, and intending to bring about my death she firmly resolved to practice asceticism,
ततो महेन्द्रं सह तैर्मुनिभिर्भृगुसत्तमः। यथाऽऽगतं तथा सोऽगान्मामुपामन्त्र्य भारत॥
Then that foremost one among Bhrigu's defendants, accompanied by those ascetics, departed, after bidding me farewell for the mountain of Mahendra, O Bharata, whence he had come.
ततो रथं समारुह्य स्तूयमानो द्विजातिभिः। प्रविश्य नगरं मात्रे सत्यवत्यै न्यवेदयम्॥
Thereupon, sending my chariot, and praised by the twice-born, I entered the city and immediately informed Satyavati, my mother,
यथावृत्तं महाराज सा च मां प्रत्यनन्दत। पुरुषांश्चादिशं प्राज्ञान् कन्यावृत्तान्तकर्मणि॥
Every thing as it had happened, O great king, and she (in her turn) uttered words and congratulations to me. I then appointed intelligent and wise men to watch the proceedings of that maiden.
दिवसे दिवसे ह्यस्या गतिजल्पितचेष्टितम्। प्रत्याहरंश्च मे युक्ताः स्थिताः प्रियहिते सदा॥
Day after day, they went and learnt whatever she did, being devoted and always stationed at their duty, and brought them to me, always their well-wisher.
यदैव हि वनं प्रायात् सा कन्या तपसे धृता। तदैव व्यतितो दीनो गतचेता इवाभवम्॥
Even at the time when that maiden went to the woods best on practicing asceticism, I became melancholy and poorly with pain.
न हि मां क्षत्रियः कश्चिद् वीर्येण व्यजयद् युधि। ऋते ब्रह्मविदस्तात तपसा संशितव्रतात्॥
No Kshatriya has ever by mere prowess vanquished me in battle, except one acquainted with Brahma, O my son and observant of vows and austerities.
अपि चैतन्मया राजन् नारदेऽपि निवेदितम्। व्यासे चैव तथा कार्यं तौ चोभौ मामवोचताम्॥
I then informed even Narada, O king, and also Vyasa of the doings (of that daughter of the king of Kashi), and both of them said to me.
न विषादस्त्वया कार्यो भीष्म काशिसुतां प्रति। दैवं पुरुषकारेण को निवर्तितुमुत्सहेत्॥
"O Bhishma, you need not be depressed on account of the daughter of Kashi. Who can have the power to alter the course of destiny by individual resolution?
सा कन्या तु महाराज प्रविश्याश्रममण्डलम्। यमुनातीरमाश्रित्य तपस्तेपेऽतिमानुषम्।॥
That maiden, O great king, having entered the pale of a secluded pot, began practicing austerities of superhuman endurance, on the banks of the Yamuna,
निराहारा कृशा सक्षा जटिला मलपङ्किनी। षण्मासान् वायुभक्षा च स्थाणुभूता तपोधना॥ यमुनाजलमाश्रित्य संवत्सरमथापरम्। उदवासं निराहारा पारयामास भाविनी॥
And she remained in the water of the Yamuna for one year, and another year, that lady remained fasting without food. Without food and emaciated, rough skined, and bronzed, with matted locks, and begrimed with the mud (of the river), that lady, whose wealth consisted in asceticism, remained fixed and motionless for six months, her only food being the air.
शीर्णपणेन चैकेन पारयामास सा परम्। संवत्सरं तीव्रकोपा पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठिता॥
And after this she broke her fast by eating a single dry leaf, and then she the great river on one foot fire with indignation as she was.
एवं द्वादश वर्षाणि तापयामास रोदसी। निवर्त्यमानापि च सा ज्ञातिभि:व शक्यते॥
And thus she continued for twelve years (her austerities) and made the heaven not. Nor could she be made to desist from the course by her relatives.
ततोऽगमद् वत्सभूमि सिद्धचारणसेविताम्। आश्रमं पुण्यशीलानां तापसानां महात्मनाम्॥
Then she went to Vatsabhumi, resorted to by Siddhas and Charanas, and the retreat of high-souled ascetics of pious deeds.
तत्र पुण्येषु तीर्थेषु साऽऽप्लुताङ्गी दिवानिशम्। व्यचरत् काशिकन्या सा यथाकामविचारिणी॥
And there, in the sacred waters of pilgrimages, she bathed herself night and day, and that daughter of the lord of Kashi roamed about, fierce as she was, according to her desire.
नन्दाश्रमे महाराज तथोलकाश्रमे शुभे। च्यवनस्याश्रमे चैव ब्रह्मणः स्थान एव च॥
Proceeding next to the hermitage of Narada, and then to the auspicious hermitage of Uluka, and to that of Chyavana, and even to the sacred spot of Brahma,
प्रयागे देवजयने देवारण्येषु चैव ह। भोगवत्यां महाराज कौशिकस्याश्रमे तथा॥
And to Prayaga, the sacrificial spot of the gods, and to the forest sacred to the gods and to Bhogavati, O monarch, as also to the hermitage of Kaushika,
माण्डव्यस्याश्रमे राजन् दिलीपस्याश्रमे तथा। रामहदे च कौरव्य पैलगर्गस्य चाश्रमे॥
And to the hermitage of Mandvya O king, as also to the hermitage of Dilipa to the (sacred) water of Rama's lake, O Kauravya, and to the hermitage of Pailagarga,
एतेषु तीर्थेषु तदा काशिकन्या विशाम्पते। आप्लावयत गात्राणि व्रतमास्थाय दुष्करम्॥
In these sacred places of pilgrimages that maiden of Kashi, O lord of earth, bathed her body, and all this while practicing the austerities difficult of performance.
तामव्रवीच्च कौरव्य मम माता जले स्थिता। किमर्थं क्लिश्यसे भद्रे तथ्यमेव वदस्व मे॥
(One day) my mother, (Ganga) while in the waters, spoke these words, O Kaurava why do you take so much pains, O blessed one! Tell me the truth.
सैनामथाब्रवीद् राजन् कृताञ्जलिरनिन्दिता। भीष्मेण समरे रामो निर्जितश्चारुलोचने।॥
She then spoke, of whom no one can speak evil, with hands folded to my mother “O faireyed one, Rama has been vanquished in battle by Bhishma.
कोऽन्यस्तमुत्सहेज्जेतुमुद्यतेषु महीपतिः। साहं भीष्मविनाशाय तपस्तप्स्ये सुदारुणम्॥
Who else, though a lord of earth, can attempt to vanquish him when he stands forward with his arrows? And I am practicing these sever austerities for the destruction of Bhishma.
विचरामि महीं देवि यथा हन्यामहं नृपम्। एतद् व्रतफलं देवि परमस्मिन् यथा हि मे॥
I wander about in the earth, O goddess, with the one purpose of obtaining the means of death of that king, and this is the vow I have taken, O goddess, in everything else that I do.”
ततोऽब्रवीत् सागरगा जिह्यं चरसि भाविनि। नैष कामोऽनवद्याङ्गि शक्यः प्राप्तुं त्वयाऽबले॥
Thereupon the ocean, going (Ganga my mother) spoke: “O lady, you are acting crookedly. O faultless one, this object of yours you shall not be able to attain, O weak one.
यदि भीष्मविनाशाय काश्ये चरसि वै व्रतम्। व्रतस्था च शरीरं त्वं यदि नाम विमोक्ष्यसि।॥
O daughter of Kashi, if you hold to this vow for the destruction of Bhishma, and even if you take leave of your body while performing these austerities.
नदी भविष्यसि शुभे कुटिला वार्षिकोदका। दुस्तीर्था न तु विज्ञेया वार्षिकी नाष्टमासिकी॥
You shall be turned to a tortuous river, O fair one, with water (only in the rains. Your water shall be inaccessible and unknown, and (as you shall be) with water only during the rainy season, you shall be dry for eight months (in the year);
भीमग्राहवती घोरा सर्वभूतभयङ्करी। एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन् काशिकन्यां न्यवर्तत॥ माता मम महाभागा स्मयमानेव भाविनी। कदाचिदष्टमे मासि कदाचिद् दशमे तथा। न प्राश्नीतोदकमिप पुनः सा वरवर्णिनी॥
Filled with dreadful alligators and yourself dreadful, and inspiring terror in all creatures." Having thus spoken, O king, my mother, that lady of great fortune pretending to smile, dismissed the daughter of Kashi. Thereupon that highly fair one did not even drink water, sometimes for eight months and sometimes for ten months.
सा वत्सभूमि कौरव्य तीर्थलोभात् ततस्ततः। पतिता परिधावन्ती पुनः काशिपतेः सुता॥
And the daughter of the king of Kashi, o Kauravya, on account of her love of pilgrimage came to Vatsabhumi, and there she fell down and began to run down (as a river.)
सा नदी वत्सभूम्यां तु प्रथिताम्बेति भारत। वार्षिकी चाहबहुला दुस्तीर्था कुटिला तथा॥
And O Bharata, it is recorded that the river in Vatsabhumi, was filled with water only during the rains, and abounded in alligators, was difficult to ford and tortuous in her course).
सा कन्या तपसा तेन देहार्धेन व्यजायत। नदी च राजन् वत्सेषु कन्या चैवाभवत् तदा॥
O king, by merit of her austerities that maiden became a river by only half her body, while by the other half she remained a maiden in Vatsabhumi, as before.