Sanjaya Begins: Duryodhana Orders Bhishma Guarded

Verse 1 (6.15.1)

त्वद्युक्तोऽयमनुप्रश्नो महाराज यथार्हसि । न तु दुर्योधने दोषमिममासङ्क्तुमर्हसि ॥

tvadyukto'yamanupraśno mahārāja yathārhasi | na tu duryodhane doṣamimamāsaṅktumarhasi

Your question is fitting, great king, and worthy of you. But you should not lay this fault on Duryodhana.

Verse 2 (6.15.2)

य आत्मनो दुश्चरितादशुभं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । एनसा तेन नान्यं स उपाशङ्कितुमर्हति ॥

ya ātmano duścaritādaśubhaṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ | enasā tena nānyaṃ sa upāśaṅkitumarhati

A man who meets misfortune through his own misconduct should not blame another for that wrong.

Verse 3 (6.15.3)

महाराज मनुष्येषु निन्द्यं यः सर्वमाचरेत् । स वध्यः सर्वलोकस्य निन्दितानि समाचरन् ॥

mahārāja manuṣyeṣu nindyaṃ yaḥ sarvamācaret | sa vadhyaḥ sarvalokasya ninditāni samācaran

Great king, a man who does everything that is condemned among men deserves death at the hands of all the world, for he does what is condemned.

Verse 4 (6.15.4)

निकारो निकृतिप्रज्ञैः पाण्डवैस्त्वत्प्रतीक्षया । अनुभूतः सहामात्यैः क्षान्तश्च सुचिरं वने ॥

nikāro nikṛtiprajñaiḥ pāṇḍavaistvatpratīkṣayā | anubhūtaḥ sahāmātyaiḥ kṣāntaśca suciraṃ vane

The Pandavas, though they saw through the deceit, endured humiliation with their counsellors out of regard for you, and bore it patiently for a long time in the forest.

Verse 5 (6.15.5)

हयानां च गजानां च राज्ञां चामिततेजसाम् । प्रत्यक्षं यन्मया दृष्टं दृष्टं योगबलेन च ॥

hayānāṃ ca gajānāṃ ca rājñāṃ cāmitatejasām | pratyakṣaṃ yanmayā dṛṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ yogabalena ca

Of horses and elephants and of kings of boundless might, what I saw with my own eyes and what I saw by the power of yoga,

Verse 6 (6.15.6)

शृणु तत्पृथिवीपाल मा च शोके मनः कृथाः । दिष्टमेतत्पुरा नूनमिदमेव नराधिप ॥

śṛṇu tatpṛthivīpāla mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ | diṣṭametatpurā nūnamidameva narādhipa

hear it, protector of the earth, and do not give your mind over to grief. Surely this was ordained long ago, lord of men; it was bound to be just so.

Verse 7 (6.15.7)

नमस्कृत्वा प्रवक्ष्यामि पाराशर्याय धीमते । यस्य प्रसादाद्दिव्यं तत्प्राप्तं ज्ञानमनुत्तमम् ॥

namaskṛtvā pravakṣyāmi pārāśaryāya dhīmate | yasya prasādāddivyaṃ tatprāptaṃ jñānamanuttamam

Bowing to the wise son of Parashara, by whose grace I gained that supreme divine knowledge, I shall speak:

Verse 8 (6.15.8)

दृष्टिश्चातीन्द्रिया राजन्दूराच्छ्रवणमेव च । परचित्तस्य विज्ञानमतीतानागतस्य च ॥

dṛṣṭiścātīndriyā rājandūrācchravaṇameva ca | paracittasya vijñānamatītānāgatasya ca

sight beyond the senses, O king, and hearing from afar, knowledge of others’ minds and of past and future,

Verse 9 (6.15.9)

व्युत्थितोत्पत्तिविज्ञानमाकाशे च गतिः शुभा । अस्त्रैरसङ्गो युद्धेषु वरदानान्महात्मनः ॥

vyutthitotpattivijñānamākāśe ca gatiḥ śubhā | astrairasaṅgo yuddheṣu varadānānmahātmanaḥ

knowledge of how those who stray from the right path came to stray, fair passage through the sky, and freedom from harm by weapons in battle: all this by the boon of that great soul.

Verse 10 (6.15.10)

शृणु मे विस्तरेणेदं विचित्रं परमाद्भुतम् । भरतानामभूद्युद्धं यथा तद्रोमहर्षणम् ॥

śṛṇu me vistareṇedaṃ vicitraṃ paramādbhutam | bharatānāmabhūdyuddhaṃ yathā tadromaharṣaṇam

Hear from me in full this strange and most wonderful account: how that hair-raising battle of the Bharatas took place.

Note on the text: Corrected श्रृणु → शृणु (misprint in Wikisource; श्रृ for शृ; the critical edition reads śṛṇu).

Verse 11 (6.15.11)

तेष्वनीकेषु यत्तेषु व्यूढेषु च विधानतः । दुर्योधनो महाराज दुःशासनमथाब्रवीत् ॥

teṣvanīkeṣu yatteṣu vyūḍheṣu ca vidhānataḥ | duryodhano mahārāja duḥśāsanamathābravīt

When those armies stood ready, drawn up in battle order as prescribed, great king, Duryodhana said to Duhshasana:

Verse 12 (6.15.12)

दुःशासन रथास्तूर्णं युज्यन्तां भीष्मरक्षिणः । अनीकानि च सर्वाणि शीघ्रं त्वमनुचोदय ॥

duḥśāsana rathāstūrṇaṃ yujyantāṃ bhīṣmarakṣiṇaḥ | anīkāni ca sarvāṇi śīghraṃ tvamanucodaya

“Duhshasana, have the chariots that guard Bhishma yoked at once, and quickly urge on all the divisions.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Duryodhana: his speech to Duhshasana is announced in the previous verse (Sanjaya reporting); Wikisource prints no heading and the input had carried Sanjaya over (verses 12–20).

Verse 13 (6.15.13)

अयं स मामभिप्राप्तो वर्षपूगाभिचिन्तितः । पाण्डवानां ससैन्यानां कुरूणां च समागमः ॥

ayaṃ sa māmabhiprāpto varṣapūgābhicintitaḥ | pāṇḍavānāṃ sasainyānāṃ kurūṇāṃ ca samāgamaḥ

This meeting of the Pandavas and their armies with the Kurus, which I have pondered for many years, has now come upon me.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading.

Verse 14 (6.15.14)

नातः कार्यतमं मन्ये रणे भीष्मस्य रक्षणात् । हन्याद्गुप्तो ह्यसौ पार्थान्सोमकांश्च ससृञ्जयान् ॥

nātaḥ kāryatamaṃ manye raṇe bhīṣmasya rakṣaṇāt | hanyādgupto hyasau pārthānsomakāṃśca sasṛñjayān

I hold nothing in this battle more important than protecting Bhishma. If he is guarded, he will slay the sons of Pritha, the Somakas and the Srinjayas.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading. Corrected हन्युद्गुप्तो → हन्याद्गुप्तो (misprint in Wikisource; the subject असौ is singular, so हन्यात्; the critical edition reads hanyād gupto).

Verse 15 (6.15.15)

अब्रवीच्च विशुद्धात्मा नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम् । श्रूयते स्त्री ह्यसौ पूर्वं तस्माद्वर्ज्यो रणे मम ॥

abravīcca viśuddhātmā nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam | śrūyate strī hyasau pūrvaṃ tasmādvarjyo raṇe mama

And that pure-souled one has said: ‘I will not slay Shikhandi. It is heard that he was once a woman; so I must avoid him in battle.’

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading. Corrected शिखण्डिनाम् → शिखण्डिनम् (misprint in Wikisource; the accusative singular is needed; the critical edition reads śikhaṇḍinam) and तस्मादूर्त्यो → तस्माद्वर्ज्यो (misprint in Wikisource; garbled conjuncts; the critical edition reads tasmād varjyo).

Verse 16 (6.15.16)

तस्माद्भीष्मो रक्षितव्यो विशेषेणेति मे मतिः । शिखण्डिनो वधे यत्ताः सर्वे तिष्ठन्तु मामकाः ॥

tasmādbhīṣmo rakṣitavyo viśeṣeṇeti me matiḥ | śikhaṇḍino vadhe yattāḥ sarve tiṣṭhantu māmakāḥ

Therefore Bhishma must be guarded above all; that is my judgement. Let all my men stand ready to slay Shikhandi.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading.

Verse 17 (6.15.17)

तथा प्राच्याः प्रतीच्याश्च दाक्षिणात्योत्तरापथाः । सर्वथाऽस्त्रेषु कुशलास्ते रक्षन्तु पितामहम् ॥

tathā prācyāḥ pratīcyāśca dākṣiṇātyottarāpathāḥ | sarvathā'streṣu kuśalāste rakṣantu pitāmaham

Let the men of the east and the west, of the south and of the northern lands, skilled in every way with weapons, guard the grandsire.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading.

Verse 18 (6.15.18)

अरक्ष्यमाणं हि वृको हन्यात्सिंहं महाबलम् । मा सिंहं जम्बुकेनेव घातयामः शिखण्डिना ॥

arakṣyamāṇaṃ hi vṛko hanyātsiṃhaṃ mahābalam | mā siṃhaṃ jambukeneva ghātayāmaḥ śikhaṇḍinā

Left unguarded, even a mighty lion may be killed by a wolf. Let us not have the lion killed by a jackal, by Shikhandi.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading.

Verse 19 (6.15.19)

वामं चक्रं युधामन्युरुत्तमौजाश्च दक्षिणम् । गोप्तारौ फाल्गुनं प्राप्तौ फाल्गुनोऽपि शिखण्डिनः ॥

vāmaṃ cakraṃ yudhāmanyuruttamaujāśca dakṣiṇam | goptārau phālgunaṃ prāptau phālguno'pi śikhaṇḍinaḥ

Yudhamanyu guards his left wheel and Uttamaujas his right; these two protectors have joined Phalguna, and Phalguna himself protects Shikhandi.

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading. Corrected फाल्गुनोपि → फाल्गुनोऽपि (missing avagraha in Wikisource; the critical edition reads phalguno 'pi).

Verse 20 (6.15.20)

संरक्ष्यमाणः पार्थेन भीष्मेण च विवर्जितः । यथा न हन्याद्गाङ्गेयं दुःशासन तथा कुरु ॥

saṃrakṣyamāṇaḥ pārthena bhīṣmeṇa ca vivarjitaḥ | yathā na hanyādgāṅgeyaṃ duḥśāsana tathā kuru

Guarded by Partha and spared by Bhishma, Shikhandi must not be able to slay the son of Ganga: see to that, Duhshasana.”

Note on the text: Speaker: Duryodhana's direct speech to Duhshasana continues without a printed heading.