Bhishma Refuses to Break His Vow

Verse 1 (1.112.1)

ततः सत्यवती दीना कृपणा पुत्रगृद्धिनी । पुत्रस्य कृत्वा कार्याणि स्नुषाभ्यां सह भारत ॥

tataḥ satyavatī dīnā kṛpaṇā putragṛddhinī | putrasya kṛtvā kāryāṇi snuṣābhyāṃ saha bhārata

Then Satyavati, wretched and miserable, yearning for offspring, having performed the rites for her son together with her two daughters-in-law, O Bharata,

Note on the text: Speaker set to Vaishampayana: Wikisource prints "वैशंपायन उवाच" before this verse; the input had none.

Verse 2 (1.112.2)

समाश्वास्य स्नुषे ते च भर्तृशोकनिपीडिते । धर्मं च पितृवंशं च मातृवंशं च भामिनी । प्रसमीक्ष्य महाभागा गाङ्गेयं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

samāśvāsya snuṣe te ca bhartṛśokanipīḍite | dharmaṃ ca pitṛvaṃśaṃ ca mātṛvaṃśaṃ ca bhāminī | prasamīkṣya mahābhāgā gāṅgeyaṃ vākyamabravīt

and having consoled her two daughters-in-law, who were crushed by grief for their husband, the noble and greatly blessed lady weighed dharma, the line of the fathers and the line of the mothers, and spoke to the son of Ganga.

Note on the text: First line not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second and third lines are CE 1.97.2.

Verse 3 (1.112.3)

दुःखार्दिता तु सा देवी मज्जन्ती शोकसागरे । शन्तनोर्धर्मनित्यस्य कौरव्यस्य यशस्विनः । त्वयि पिण्डश्च कीर्तिश्च संतानश्च प्रतिष्ठितः ॥

duḥkhārditā tu sā devī majjantī śokasāgare | śantanordharmanityasya kauravyasya yaśasvinaḥ | tvayi piṇḍaśca kīrtiśca saṃtānaśca pratiṣṭhitaḥ

Afflicted with sorrow and drowning in a sea of grief, the queen said: "The ancestral offering, the fame and the line of Shantanu, ever devoted to dharma, the illustrious Kaurava, all rest on you."

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (a backtick and a quote mark) around the first two lines. First line not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second and third lines are CE 1.97.3. Satyavati's speech begins with the second line (Wikisource has no speaker line for her) and runs to verse 11.

Verse 4 (1.112.4)

भ्राता विचित्रवीर्यस्ते भूतानामन्तमेयिवान् । यथाकर्म शुभं कृत्वा स्वर्गोपगमनं ध्रुवम् । यथा चायुर्ध्रुवं सत्ये त्वयि धर्मस्तथा ध्रुवः ॥

bhrātā vicitravīryaste bhūtānāmantameyivān | yathākarma śubhaṃ kṛtvā svargopagamanaṃ dhruvam | yathā cāyurdhruvaṃ satye tvayi dharmastathā dhruvaḥ

Your brother Vichitravirya has gone to the end that awaits all beings. As surely as one who does good deeds goes to heaven, as surely as long life belongs to the truthful, so surely is dharma established in you.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (a backtick and a quote mark) around the first line. First line not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second and third lines are CE 1.97.4. Speaker set to Satyavati: her address to Bhishma begins in the previous verse.

Verse 5 (1.112.5)

वेत्थ धर्मांश्च धर्मज्ञ समासेनेतरेण च । विविधास्त्वं श्रुतीर्वेत्थ वेदाङ्गानि च सर्वशः ॥

vettha dharmāṃśca dharmajña samāsenetareṇa ca | vividhāstvaṃ śrutīrvettha vedāṅgāni ca sarvaśaḥ

You know the laws of dharma, O knower of dharma, both in brief and in detail. You know the many branches of revealed scripture and all the limbs of the Veda.

Verse 6 (1.112.6)

व्यवस्थानं च ते धर्मे कुलाचारं च लक्षये । प्रतिपत्तिं च कृच्छ्रेषु शुक्राङ्गिरसयोरिव ॥

vyavasthānaṃ ca te dharme kulācāraṃ ca lakṣaye | pratipattiṃ ca kṛcchreṣu śukrāṅgirasayoriva

I see in you firmness in dharma, faithfulness to the custom of the family, and a resourcefulness in hardship like that of Shukra and Angiras.

Verse 7 (1.112.7)

तस्मात्सुभृशमाश्वस्य त्वयि धर्मभृतां वर । कार्ये त्वां विनियोक्ष्यामि तच्छ्रुत्वा कर्तुमर्हसि ॥

tasmātsubhṛśamāśvasya tvayi dharmabhṛtāṃ vara | kārye tvāṃ viniyokṣyāmi tacchrutvā kartumarhasi

Therefore, trusting in you completely, O best of those who uphold dharma, I will charge you with a task. Hear it, and you should carry it out.

Verse 8 (1.112.8)

मम पुत्रस्तव भ्राता वीर्यवान्सुप्रियश्च ते । बाल एव गतः स्वर्गमपुत्रः पुरुषर्षभ ॥

mama putrastava bhrātā vīryavānsupriyaśca te | bāla eva gataḥ svargamaputraḥ puruṣarṣabha

My son, your brother, valiant and very dear to you, has gone to heaven while still a boy, without a son, O bull among men.

Verse 9 (1.112.9)

इमे महिष्यौ भ्रातुस्ते काशिराजसुते शुभे । रूपयौवनसंपन्ने पुत्रकामे च भारत ॥

ime mahiṣyau bhrātuste kāśirājasute śubhe | rūpayauvanasaṃpanne putrakāme ca bhārata

These two queens of your brother, the lovely daughters of the king of Kashi, are rich in beauty and youth, and they long for sons, O Bharata.

Verse 10 (1.112.10)

तयोरुत्पादयापत्यं सन्तानाय कुलस्य नः । मन्नियोगान्महाबाहो धर्मं कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥

tayorutpādayāpatyaṃ santānāya kulasya naḥ | manniyogānmahābāho dharmaṃ kartumihārhasi

Beget offspring on them so that our line may continue. At my bidding, O mighty-armed one, you should do this as your dharma.

Verse 11 (1.112.11)

राज्ये चैवाभिषिच्यस्व भारताननुशाधि च । दारांश्च कुरु धर्मेण मा निमज्जीः पितामहान् ॥

rājye caivābhiṣicyasva bhāratānanuśādhi ca | dārāṃśca kuru dharmeṇa mā nimajjīḥ pitāmahān

Have yourself consecrated to the kingship and rule the Bharatas. Take wives according to dharma, and do not let your forefathers sink.

Verse 12 (1.112.12)

तथोच्यमानो मात्रा स सुहृद्भिश्च परन्तपः । इत्युवाचाथ धर्मात्मा धर्म्यमेवोत्तरं वचः ॥

tathocyamāno mātrā sa suhṛdbhiśca parantapaḥ | ityuvācātha dharmātmā dharmyamevottaraṃ vacaḥ

Spoken to in this way by his mother and by his friends, the righteous scorcher of foes then gave this reply, one in keeping with dharma:

Verse 13 (1.112.13)

असंशयं परो धर्मस्त्वया मातरुदाहृतः । त्वमपत्यं प्रति च मे प्रतिज्ञां वेत्थ वै पराम् ॥

asaṃśayaṃ paro dharmastvayā mātarudāhṛtaḥ | tvamapatyaṃ prati ca me pratijñāṃ vettha vai parām

Without doubt, mother, what you have set forth is the highest dharma. But you know my supreme vow concerning offspring.

Note on the text: Corrected परां → पराम् (misprint in Wikisource; anusvara for final म् at the end of the verse; the critical edition reads parām). Speaker set to Bhishma: his reply begins here (Wikisource has no speaker line; the input carried "वैशंपायन" over) and runs to verse 19.

Verse 14 (1.112.14)

जानासि च यथावृत्तं शुल्कहेतोस्त्वदन्तरे । स सत्यवति सत्यं ते प्रतिजानाम्यहं पुनः ॥

jānāsi ca yathāvṛttaṃ śulkahetostvadantare | sa satyavati satyaṃ te pratijānāmyahaṃ punaḥ

You know too what happened on your account, over your bride-price. O Satyavati, I affirm that truth to you once again:

Verse 15 (1.112.15)

परित्यजेयं त्रैलोक्यं राज्यं देवेषु वा पुनः । यद्वाऽप्यधिकमेताभ्यां न तु सत्यं कथंचन ॥

parityajeyaṃ trailokyaṃ rājyaṃ deveṣu vā punaḥ | yadvā'pyadhikametābhyāṃ na tu satyaṃ kathaṃcana

I would give up the three worlds, or kingship among the gods, or anything greater than these two, but never truth.

Verse 16 (1.112.16)

त्यजेच्च पृथिवी गन्धमापश्च रसमात्मनः । ज्योतिस्तथा त्यजेद्रूपं वायुः स्पर्शगुणं त्यजेत् ॥

tyajecca pṛthivī gandhamāpaśca rasamātmanaḥ | jyotistathā tyajedrūpaṃ vāyuḥ sparśaguṇaṃ tyajet

Earth might give up its smell, and water its own taste; light might give up form, and wind its quality of touch;

Verse 17 (1.112.17)

प्रभां समुत्सृजेदर्को धूमकेतुस्तथोष्मताम् । त्यजेच्छब्दं तथाऽऽकाशं सोमः शीतांशुतां त्यजेत् ॥

prabhāṃ samutsṛjedarko dhūmaketustathoṣmatām | tyajecchabdaṃ tathā''kāśaṃ somaḥ śītāṃśutāṃ tyajet

the sun might give up its radiance, and fire its heat; space might give up sound, and the moon its cool rays;

Verse 18 (1.112.18)

विक्रमं वृत्रहा जह्याद्धर्मं जह्याच्च धर्मराट् । न त्वहं सत्यमुत्स्रष्टुं व्यवसेयं कथंचन ॥

vikramaṃ vṛtrahā jahyāddharmaṃ jahyācca dharmarāṭ | na tvahaṃ satyamutsraṣṭuṃ vyavaseyaṃ kathaṃcana

the slayer of Vritra might abandon his valour, and the king of dharma his dharma; but I could never resolve to abandon truth.

Verse 19 (1.112.19)

तन्न जात्वन्यथा कुर्यां लोकानामपि संक्षये । अमरत्वस्य वा हेतोस्त्रैलोक्यस्य धनस्य च ॥

tanna jātvanyathā kuryāṃ lokānāmapi saṃkṣaye | amaratvasya vā hetostrailokyasya dhanasya ca

I would never act otherwise, not even at the destruction of the worlds, nor for the sake of immortality, of the three worlds, or of wealth.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (a backtick, a quote mark and a doubled danda). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 20 (1.112.20)

एवमुक्ता तु पुत्रेण भूरिद्रविणतेजसा । माता सत्यवती भीष्ममुवाच तदनन्तरम् ॥

evamuktā tu putreṇa bhūridraviṇatejasā | mātā satyavatī bhīṣmamuvāca tadanantaram

Thus addressed by her son, a man of great strength and vigour, his mother Satyavati then spoke to Bhishma:

Verse 21 (1.112.21)

जानामि ते स्थितिं सत्ये परां सत्यपराक्रम । इच्छन्सृजेथास्त्रींल्लोकानन्यांस्त्वं स्वेन तेजसा ॥

jānāmi te sthitiṃ satye parāṃ satyaparākrama | icchansṛjethāstrīṃllokānanyāṃstvaṃ svena tejasā

I know how utterly you stand by truth, you whose valour is truth. If you wished, you could create three other worlds by your own power.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Satyavati: her reply begins here (Wikisource has no speaker line; the input carried "वैशंपायन" over) and runs into the first line of verse 24.

Verse 22 (1.112.22)

जानामि चैवं सत्यं तन्मदर्थे यच्च भाषितम् । आपद्धर्मं त्वमवेक्ष्य वह पैतामहीं धुरम् ॥

jānāmi caivaṃ satyaṃ tanmadarthe yacca bhāṣitam | āpaddharmaṃ tvamavekṣya vaha paitāmahīṃ dhuram

And I know that truth, the vow you spoke for my sake. But look to the law for times of distress and bear the burden of your forefathers.

Note on the text: Corrected त्वमावेक्ष्य → त्वमवेक्ष्य (misprint in Wikisource; the gerund of ava-√īkṣ; the critical edition has the same verb, avekṣasva).

Verse 23 (1.112.23)

यथा ते कुलतन्तुश्च धर्मश्च न पराभवेत् । सुहृदश्च प्रहृष्येरंस्तथा कुरु परन्तप ॥

yathā te kulatantuśca dharmaśca na parābhavet | suhṛdaśca prahṛṣyeraṃstathā kuru parantapa

Act so that the thread of your family and its dharma do not perish, and your friends may rejoice, O scorcher of foes,

Verse 24 (1.112.24)

आत्मनश्च हितं तात प्रियं च मम भारत । लालप्यमानां तामेवं कृपणां पुत्रगृद्धिनीम् । धर्मादपेतं ब्रुवतीं भीष्मो भूयोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥

ātmanaśca hitaṃ tāta priyaṃ ca mama bhārata | lālapyamānāṃ tāmevaṃ kṛpaṇāṃ putragṛddhinīm | dharmādapetaṃ bruvatīṃ bhīṣmo bhūyo'bravīdidam

"and what is good for you, my son, and dear to me, O Bharata." To her, lamenting in this way, pitiable, yearning for offspring and speaking what strayed from dharma, Bhishma spoke once more:

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (a backtick and a quote mark) around the first line. First line not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the second and third lines are CE 1.97.23. The first line ends Satyavati's speech; the second and third lines return to Vaishampayana's narration.

Verse 25 (1.112.25)

राज्ञि धर्मानवेक्षस्व मा नः सर्वान्व्यनीनशः । सत्याच्च्युतिः क्षत्रियस्य न धर्मेषु प्रशस्यते ॥

rājñi dharmānavekṣasva mā naḥ sarvānvyanīnaśaḥ | satyāccyutiḥ kṣatriyasya na dharmeṣu praśasyate

O queen, look to dharma; do not destroy us all. For a Kshatriya, falling away from truth is praised in no code of dharma.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Bhishma: his reply begins here (Wikisource has no speaker line; the input carried "वैशंपायन" over).

Verse 26 (1.112.26)

शान्तनोरपि संतानं यथा स्यादक्षयं भुवि । तत्ते धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामि क्षात्रं राज्ञि सनातनम् ॥

śāntanorapi saṃtānaṃ yathā syādakṣayaṃ bhuvi | tatte dharmaṃ pravakṣyāmi kṣātraṃ rājñi sanātanam

So that Shantanu's line too may endure unbroken on earth, I will tell you, O queen, the eternal Kshatriya rule for it.

Verse 27 (1.112.27)

श्रुत्वा तं प्रतिपद्यस्व प्राज्ञैः सह पुरोहितैः । आपद्धर्मार्थकुशलैर्लोकतन्त्रमवेक्ष्य च ॥

śrutvā taṃ pratipadyasva prājñaiḥ saha purohitaiḥ | āpaddharmārthakuśalairlokatantramavekṣya ca

Hear it, and then decide, together with wise family priests skilled in the law and needs of distress, keeping in view the ways of the world.

Note on the text: Restored from the Wikisource page (1-112-27a/b): Wikisource prints this verse on the same line as the closing colophon, and the extraction lost it. Wording as in Wikisource; the critical edition has it as 1.97.26 (reading pratipadyethāḥ).