Bhishma Recites the Sages' Praise of Krishna

Verse 1 (6.68.1)

स्तवं वै ब्रह्मसंयुक्तं शृणु कृष्णस्य भारत । ब्रह्मर्षिभिश्च देवैश्च यः पुरा कथितो भुवि ॥

stavaṃ vai brahmasaṃyuktaṃ śṛṇu kṛṣṇasya bhārata | brahmarṣibhiśca devaiśca yaḥ purā kathito bhuvi

Hear, O Bharata, the hymn to Krishna, filled with sacred truth, which the brahmin seers and the gods recited on earth long ago.

Note on the text: Line 1 differs from the critical edition's 6.64.1ab (śṛṇu cedaṃ mahārāja brahmabhūtastavaṃ mama); kept as a recension variant. Line 2 = 6.64.1cd. The automatic alignment missed this verse.

Verse 2 (6.68.2)

साध्यानामपि देवानां देवदेवेश्वरः प्रभुः । लोकभावनभावज्ञ इति त्वां नारदोऽब्रवीत् ॥

sādhyānāmapi devānāṃ devadeveśvaraḥ prabhuḥ | lokabhāvanabhāvajña iti tvāṃ nārado'bravīt

'You are the Lord, the God and master of the gods, sovereign even over the Sadhya gods, and you know the hearts of those who bring the worlds into being' — so Narada said of you.

Note on the text: = the first two lines (6.64.2a–d) of the critical edition's three-line verse 6.64.2. The automatic alignment missed this verse.

Verse 3 (6.68.3)

भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च मार्कण्डेयोऽभ्युवाच ह । यज्ञं त्वां चैव यज्ञानां तपश्च तपसामपि ॥

bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyacca mārkaṇḍeyo'bhyuvāca ha | yajñaṃ tvāṃ caiva yajñānāṃ tapaśca tapasāmapi

Markandeya declared you to be what has been, what is and what is yet to be. You are the sacrifice of sacrifices and the austerity of austerities,

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.64.2ef (reading भविष्यच्च for bhaviṣyaṃ ca); line 2 is its 6.64.3ab (word order यज्ञं त्वां चैव यज्ञानां for yajñānāṃ caiva yajñaṃ tvāṃ). The automatic alignment missed this verse.

Verse 4 (6.68.4)

देवानामपि देवं च त्वामाह भगवान्भृगुः । पुराणे चैव परमं विष्णो रूपं तवेति च ॥

devānāmapi devaṃ ca tvāmāha bhagavānbhṛguḥ | purāṇe caiva paramaṃ viṣṇo rūpaṃ taveti ca

and the god even of the gods — so the blessed Bhrigu called you; and he said that in the ancient lore the supreme form, O Vishnu, is yours.

Note on the text: Corrected पुराणां → पुराणे (misprint in Wikisource; पुराणाम् gives no sense here, the critical edition reads purāṇe). Line 1 = the critical edition's 6.64.3cd; the rest of line 2 differs from its 6.64.3ef (bhairavaṃ rūpaṃ viṣṇo bhūtapateti vai) and is kept as a recension variant. The automatic alignment missed this verse.

Verse 5 (6.68.5)

वासुदेवो वसूनां त्वं शक्रं स्थापयिता तथा । देवदेवोऽसि देवानामिति द्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत् ॥

vāsudevo vasūnāṃ tvaṃ śakraṃ sthāpayitā tathā | devadevo'si devānāmiti dvaipāyano'bravīt

'Among the Vasus you are Vasudeva; you are the one who set Shakra in his place; you are the God of gods among the gods' — so said Dvaipayana.

Verse 6 (6.68.6)

पूर्वे प्रजानिसर्गे च दक्षमाहुः प्रजापतिम् । स्रष्टारं सर्वभूतानामङ्गिरास्त्वां तथाऽब्रवीत् ॥

pūrve prajānisarge ca dakṣamāhuḥ prajāpatim | sraṣṭāraṃ sarvabhūtānāmaṅgirāstvāṃ tathā'bravīt

At the first creation of beings they called you Daksha, the lord of creatures; and Angiras likewise said that you are the creator of all beings.

Note on the text: Reads प्रजानिसर्गे and तथाऽब्रवीत् where the critical edition has prajānisargeṣu and tato 'bravīt; kept as recension variants.

Verse 7 (6.68.7)

अव्यक्तं ते शरीरोत्थं व्यक्तं ते मनसि स्थितम् । देवास्त्वत्संभवाश्चैव देवलस्त्वसितोऽब्रवीत् ॥

avyaktaṃ te śarīrotthaṃ vyaktaṃ te manasi sthitam | devāstvatsaṃbhavāścaiva devalastvasito'bravīt

'The unmanifest arises from your body, the manifest dwells in your mind, and the gods are born of you' — so said Devala Asita.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads देवास्त्वत्संभवाश्चैव where the critical edition has devā vāksaṃbhavāś ceti; kept as a recension variant.

Verse 8 (6.68.8)

शिरसा ते दिव्यं व्याप्तं बाहुभ्यां पृथिवी तथा । जठरं ते त्रयो लोकाः पुरुषोऽसि सनातनः ॥

śirasā te divyaṃ vyāptaṃ bāhubhyāṃ pṛthivī tathā | jaṭharaṃ te trayo lokāḥ puruṣo'si sanātanaḥ

Heaven is pervaded by your head, the earth by your arms; the three worlds are your belly. You are the eternal Person.

Note on the text: Reads दिव्यं and पृथिवी तथा where the critical edition has divaṃ and pṛthivī dhṛtā; kept as recension variants.

Verse 9 (6.68.9)

एवं त्वामभिजानन्ति तपसा भाविता नराः । आत्मदर्शनतृप्तानामृषीणां चासि सत्तमः ॥

evaṃ tvāmabhijānanti tapasā bhāvitā narāḥ | ātmadarśanatṛptānāmṛṣīṇāṃ cāsi sattamaḥ

Thus do men purified by austerity know you; and among the seers who are content in beholding the Self, you are the most excellent.

Verse 10 (6.68.10)

राजर्षीणामुदाराणामाहवेष्वनिवर्तिनाम् । सर्वधर्मप्रधानानां त्वं गतिर्मधुसूदन ॥

rājarṣīṇāmudārāṇāmāhaveṣvanivartinām | sarvadharmapradhānānāṃ tvaṃ gatirmadhusūdana

Of the generous royal sages who never turn back in battle and who hold all dharma foremost, you are the refuge, O slayer of Madhu.

Verse 11 (6.68.11)

इति नित्यं योगविद्भिर्भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः । सनत्कुमारप्रमुखैः स्तूयतेऽभ्यर्च्यते हरिः ॥

iti nityaṃ yogavidbhirbhagavānpuruṣottamaḥ | sanatkumārapramukhaiḥ stūyate'bhyarcyate hariḥ

Thus is the blessed Hari, the Supreme Person, ever praised and worshipped by the knowers of yoga, with Sanatkumara at their head.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as the star passage 6.64.9d*0266. Corrected योगविर्द्भिर् → योगविद्भिर् (misprint in Wikisource; a stray repha, the apparatus reads yogavidbhir).

Verse 12 (6.68.12)

एष ते विस्तरस्तात संक्षेपश्च प्रकीर्तितः । केशवस्य यथा तत्त्वं सुप्रीतो भज केशवम् ॥

eṣa te vistarastāta saṃkṣepaśca prakīrtitaḥ | keśavasya yathā tattvaṃ suprīto bhaja keśavam

This, my son, is the truth about Keshava, told to you both at length and in brief. With a glad heart, worship Keshava.

Note on the text: Line 2 ends सुप्रीतो भज केशवम् where the critical edition reads suprīto bhava keśave; kept as a recension variant.

Verse 13 (6.68.13)

पुण्यं श्रुत्वैतदाख्यानं महाराज सुतस्तव । केशवं बहुमेने स पाण्डवांश्च महारथान् ॥

puṇyaṃ śrutvaitadākhyānaṃ mahārāja sutastava | keśavaṃ bahumene sa pāṇḍavāṃśca mahārathān

Having heard this holy account, great king, your son came to think highly of Keshava and of the Pandavas, those great chariot-warriors.

Verse 14 (6.68.14)

तमब्रवीन्महाराज भीष्मः शान्तनवः पुनः । माहात्म्यं ते श्रुतं राजन्केशवस्य महात्मनः ॥

tamabravīnmahārāja bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavaḥ punaḥ | māhātmyaṃ te śrutaṃ rājankeśavasya mahātmanaḥ

Then, great king, Bhishma the son of Shantanu spoke to him once more: 'You have heard, O king, the greatness of the great-souled Keshava,

Note on the text: Corrected महात्कमनः → महात्मनः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray क, the critical edition reads mahātmanaḥ). Bhishma's speech begins in line 2; the verse stays with Sanjaya, whose narration opens it.

Verse 15 (6.68.15)

नरस्य च यथातत्त्वं यन्मां त्वं पृच्छसे नृप । यदर्थं नृषु संभूतौ नरानारायणावृषी ॥

narasya ca yathātattvaṃ yanmāṃ tvaṃ pṛcchase nṛpa | yadarthaṃ nṛṣu saṃbhūtau narānārāyaṇāvṛṣī

and you have heard the truth about Nara, which you asked me, O king: why the two seers Nara and Narayana were born among men,

Note on the text: Line 1 ends पृच्छसे नृप and line 2 नरानारायणावृषी where the critical edition reads paripṛcchasi and naranārāyaṇāv ubhau; kept as recension variants. Speaker: Bhishma's words to Duryodhana, continuing from the previous verse; they fill verses 15–18 without a printed heading.

Verse 16 (6.68.16)

अवध्यौ च यथा वीरौ संयुगेष्वपराजितौ । यथा च पाण्डवा राजन्नवध्या युधि कस्यचित् ॥

avadhyau ca yathā vīrau saṃyugeṣvaparājitau | yathā ca pāṇḍavā rājannavadhyā yudhi kasyacit

how those two heroes cannot be slain and are never defeated in battle, and how the Pandavas, O king, cannot be slain in war by anyone.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads अवध्या where the critical edition has agamyā; kept as a recension variant. Speaker: Bhishma (see verse 15).

Verse 17 (6.68.17)

प्रीतिमान्हि दृढं कृष्णः पाण्डवेषु यशस्विषु । तस्माद्ब्रवीमि राजेन्द्र शमो भवतु पाण्डवैः ॥

prītimānhi dṛḍhaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍaveṣu yaśasviṣu | tasmādbravīmi rājendra śamo bhavatu pāṇḍavaiḥ

For Krishna's love for the glorious Pandavas is firm. Therefore I tell you, O king of kings: let there be peace with the Pandavas.

Note on the text: Speaker: Bhishma (see verse 15).

Verse 18 (6.68.18)

पृथिवीं भुङ्क्ष्व सहितो भ्रातृभिर्बलिभिर्वशी । नरानारायणौ देवाववज्ञाय नशिष्यसि ॥

pṛthivīṃ bhuṅkṣva sahito bhrātṛbhirbalibhirvaśī | narānārāyaṇau devāvavajñāya naśiṣyasi

Rule the earth, master of yourself, together with your mighty brothers. If you scorn the gods Nara and Narayana, you will perish.'

Note on the text: Speaker: Bhishma (see verse 15).

Verse 19 (6.68.19)

एवमुक्त्वा तव पिता तूष्णीमासीद्विशांपते । व्यसर्जयच्च राजानं शयनं च विवेश ह ॥

evamuktvā tava pitā tūṣṇīmāsīdviśāṃpate | vyasarjayacca rājānaṃ śayanaṃ ca viveśa ha

Having said this, lord of the people, your father fell silent. He dismissed the king and went to his bed.

Verse 20 (6.68.20)

राजा च शिबिरं प्रायात्प्रणिपत्य महात्मने । शिश्ये च शयने शुभ्रे रात्रिं तां भरतर्षभ ॥

rājā ca śibiraṃ prāyātpraṇipatya mahātmane | śiśye ca śayane śubhre rātriṃ tāṃ bharatarṣabha

The king, after bowing to that great-souled one, went back to his camp, and slept that night on a bright bed, O bull of the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Reads राजा च and रात्रिं तां where the critical edition has rājāpi and tāṃ rātriṃ; kept as recension variants.