Bhishma Sends Karna to Lead the Kurus

Verse 1 (7.4.1)

तस्य लालप्यमानस्य कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः । देशकालोचितं वाक्यमब्रवीत्प्रीतमानसः ॥

tasya lālapyamānasya kuruvṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ | deśakālocitaṃ vākyamabravītprītamānasaḥ

To him, as he spoke so piteously, the aged grandsire of the Kurus, glad at heart, replied with words fitting the place and the time.

Note on the text: CE 7.4.1 (lines a, c) is followed in the CE by Appendix I passage 7.4.1d@001_0001–0018 (Bhishma embraces Karna and tells him of his birth); this passage is not in the Wikisource text.

Verse 2 (7.4.2)

समुद्र इव सिन्धूनां ज्योतिषामिव भास्करः । सत्यस्य च यथा सन्तो बीजानामिव चोर्वरा ॥

samudra iva sindhūnāṃ jyotiṣāmiva bhāskaraḥ | satyasya ca yathā santo bījānāmiva corvarā

As the ocean is to the rivers, as the sun is among the lights, as the good are to truth, as fertile soil is to seeds,

Verse 3 (7.4.3)

पर्जन्य इव भूतानां प्रतिष्ठा सुहृदां भवान् । बान्धवास्त्वाऽनुजीवन्तु स्वादुवृक्षमिवाण्डजाः ॥

parjanya iva bhūtānāṃ pratiṣṭhā suhṛdāṃ bhavān | bāndhavāstvā'nujīvantu svāduvṛkṣamivāṇḍajāḥ

as a rain-cloud is the support of living things, so are you the support of your friends; may your kinsmen live depending on you, as birds depend on a tree of sweet fruit.

Note on the text: Removed a stray zero-width joiner inside the word अण्डजाः. Wikisource's wording differs from CE 7.4.3 (similarity 0.877); a recension variant, Wikisource's reading kept.

Verse 4 (7.4.4)

मानहा भव शत्रूणां मित्राणां नन्दिवर्धनः । कौरवाणां भव गतिर्यथा विष्णुर्दिवौकसाम् ॥

mānahā bhava śatrūṇāṃ mitrāṇāṃ nandivardhanaḥ | kauravāṇāṃ bhava gatiryathā viṣṇurdivaukasām

Be the destroyer of the pride of your enemies and the gladdener of your friends; be the refuge of the Kauravas, as Vishnu is of the dwellers in heaven.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text; its two lines appear there as star passage 7.4.3d*0030_01–02 (after 7.4.3).

Verse 5 (7.4.5)

स्वबाहुबलवीर्येण धार्तराष्ट्रप्रियैषिणा । कर्ण राजपुरं गत्वा काम्भोजा निर्जितास्त्वया ॥

svabāhubalavīryeṇa dhārtarāṣṭrapriyaiṣiṇā | karṇa rājapuraṃ gatvā kāmbhojā nirjitāstvayā

By the strength and might of your own arms, in your zeal for Dhritarashtra's son's good, Karna, you went to Rajapura and the Kambhojas were conquered by you.

Verse 6 (7.4.6)

गिरिव्रजगताश्चापि नग्नजित्प्रमुखा नृपाः । अम्बष्ठाश्च विदेहाश्च गान्धाराश्च जितास्त्वया ॥

girivrajagatāścāpi nagnajitpramukhā nṛpāḥ | ambaṣṭhāśca videhāśca gāndhārāśca jitāstvayā

And the kings headed by Nagnajit who had gone to Girivraja, the Ambashthas, the Videhas and the Gandharas were conquered by you.

Verse 7 (7.4.7)

हिमवद्दुर्गनिलयाः किराता रणकर्कशाः । दुर्योधनस्य वशगास्त्वया कर्ण पुरा कृताः ॥

himavaddurganilayāḥ kirātā raṇakarkaśāḥ | duryodhanasya vaśagāstvayā karṇa purā kṛtāḥ

The Kiratas, harsh in battle, who live in Himalayan strongholds, were long ago brought under Duryodhana's sway by you, Karna.

Note on the text: Wikisource's wording differs from CE 7.4.6 (similarity 0.836); a recension variant, Wikisource's reading kept.

Verse 8 (7.4.8)

उत्कला मेकलाः पौण्ड्राः कलिङ्गान्ध्राश्च संयुगे । निषादाश्च त्रिगर्ताश्च बाह्लीकाश्च जितास्त्वया ॥

utkalā mekalāḥ pauṇḍrāḥ kaliṅgāndhrāśca saṃyuge | niṣādāśca trigartāśca bāhlīkāśca jitāstvayā

The Utkalas, Mekalas, Paundras, Kalingas, Andhras, Nishadas, Trigartas and Bahlikas were conquered by you in battle.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text; its two lines appear there as star passage 7.4.6d*0032_01–02 (after 7.4.6).

Verse 9 (7.4.9)

तत्रतत्र च संग्रामे दुर्योधनहितैषिणा । बहवश्च जिताः कर्ण त्वया वीरा महौजसा ॥

tatratatra ca saṃgrāme duryodhanahitaiṣiṇā | bahavaśca jitāḥ karṇa tvayā vīrā mahaujasā

And in battle after battle, Karna, in your zeal for Duryodhana's good, many heroes were conquered by you, mighty one.

Note on the text: CE 7.4.7 (lines a, c); in the CE it is followed by Appendix I passage 7.4.7d@002_0001–0024 (a further exchange between Bhishma and Karna), which is not in the Wikisource text.

Verse 10 (7.4.10)

यथा दुर्योधनस्तात सज्ञातिकुलबान्धवः । तथा त्वमपि सर्वेषां कौरवाणां गतिर्भव ॥

yathā duryodhanastāta sajñātikulabāndhavaḥ | tathā tvamapi sarveṣāṃ kauravāṇāṃ gatirbhava

Child, just as Duryodhana is, with his kinsfolk, family and relatives, so be you too the refuge of all the Kauravas.

Note on the text: Corrected दुर्योधनस्यातः → दुर्योधनस्तात (misprint in Wikisource; the subject needs the nominative दुर्योधनः with the vocative तात; CE duryodhanas tāta).

Verse 11 (7.4.11)

शिवेनाभिवदामि त्वां गच्छ युध्यस्व शत्रुभिः । अनुशास्य कुरून्सर्वान्धत्स्व दुर्योधने जयम् ॥

śivenābhivadāmi tvāṃ gaccha yudhyasva śatrubhiḥ | anuśāsya kurūnsarvāndhatsva duryodhane jayam

I bless you with good wishes: go, fight the enemy. Having instructed all the Kurus, secure victory for Duryodhana.

Note on the text: Corrected शिवेशनाभिवदामि → शिवेनाभिवदामि (misprint in Wikisource; श for न; CE śivenābhivadāmi). Wikisource's wording differs from CE 7.4.9 (similarity 0.882); a recension variant, Wikisource's reading kept.

Verse 12 (7.4.12)

भवान्पौत्रसमोऽस्माकं यथा दुर्योधनस्तथा । तवापि धर्मतः सर्वे यथा तस्य वयं तथा ॥

bhavānpautrasamo'smākaṃ yathā duryodhanastathā | tavāpi dharmataḥ sarve yathā tasya vayaṃ tathā

You are like a grandson to us, as Duryodhana is; and by dharma we are all yours, as we are his.

Verse 13 (7.4.13)

यौनात्सम्बन्धकाल्लोके विशिष्टं सङ्गतं सताम् । सद्भिः सङ्गममिच्छन्ति तस्मात्प्राज्ञाः परैरपि ॥

yaunātsambandhakālloke viśiṣṭaṃ saṅgataṃ satām | sadbhiḥ saṅgamamicchanti tasmātprājñāḥ parairapi

In the world, association with the good is more precious than a tie of birth or of marriage. Therefore the wise seek the company of the good, even among strangers.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 7.4.11a; Wikisource's line 2 differs from CE 7.4.11c ("sadbhiḥ saha naraśreṣṭha pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ"); Wikisource's reading is kept.

Verse 14 (7.4.14)

स सत्यसङ्गरो भूत्वा ममेदमिति निश्चितः । कुरूणां पालय बलं यथा दुर्योधनस्तथा ॥

sa satyasaṅgaro bhūtvā mamedamiti niścitaḥ | kurūṇāṃ pālaya balaṃ yathā duryodhanastathā

Be true to your pledge, firmly resolved "this is mine", and protect the Kuru army as Duryodhana does.

Verse 15 (7.4.15)

यथा च कुरवो युद्धे योधयन्ति स्म पाण्डवान् । तथा कर्ण त्वया कार्यं दुर्योधनहितैषिणा ॥

yathā ca kuravo yuddhe yodhayanti sma pāṇḍavān | tathā karṇa tvayā kāryaṃ duryodhanahitaiṣiṇā

And as the Kurus have fought the Pandavas in battle, so must you do, Karna, seeking Duryodhana's good."

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki quote marks (backtick and apostrophe). Not in the critical edition's main text. Line 1 appears there as star passage 7.4.12d*0036_01 (after 7.4.12); line 2 ("tathā karṇa tvayā kāryaṃ duryodhanahitaiṣiṇā") is not in the CE (vulgate-only).

Verse 16 (7.4.16)

निशम्य वचनं तस्य चरणावभिवाद्य च । ययौ वैकर्तनः कर्णस्तूर्णमायोधनं प्रति ॥

niśamya vacanaṃ tasya caraṇāvabhivādya ca | yayau vaikartanaḥ karṇastūrṇamāyodhanaṃ prati

Hearing his words and bowing at his feet, Karna Vaikartana went swiftly toward the field of battle.

Note on the text: Wikisource's wording differs from CE 7.4.13 (similarity 0.833); a recension variant, Wikisource's reading kept. The input still carries Bhishma as the speaker; Bhishma's speech ends with the previous verse and this is narration (CE: "iti śrutvā vacaḥ so 'tha …"), so the speaker is corrected to Sanjaya (the narrator of the page).

Verse 17 (7.4.17)

सोऽभिवीक्ष्य नरौघाणां स्थानमप्रतिमं महत् । व्यूढप्रहरणोरस्कं सैन्यं तत्समबृंहयत् ॥

so'bhivīkṣya naraughāṇāṃ sthānamapratimaṃ mahat | vyūḍhapraharaṇoraskaṃ sainyaṃ tatsamabṛṃhayat

He surveyed the vast, incomparable station of the hosts of men, the army with its weapons ready and its front arrayed, and he reinforced it.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from the input's Bhishma to Sanjaya (narration).

Verse 18 (7.4.18)

हृषिताः कुरवः सर्वे दुर्योधनपुरोगमाः । उपागतं महाबाहुं सर्वानीकपुरःसरम् ॥

hṛṣitāḥ kuravaḥ sarve duryodhanapurogamāḥ | upāgataṃ mahābāhuṃ sarvānīkapuraḥsaram

All the Kurus, headed by Duryodhana, were thrilled at the arrival of the mighty-armed one, who marched at the head of all the divisions.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from the input's Bhishma to Sanjaya (narration). Not in the critical edition's main text; its two lines appear there as star passage 7.4.14d*0038_01–02 (CE "tam āgatam" for Wikisource "upāgatam").

Verse 19 (7.4.19)

कर्णं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानं युद्धाय समुपस्थितम् । क्ष्वेडितास्फोटितरवैः सिंहनादरवैरपि । धनुःशब्दैश्च विविधैः कुरवः समपूजयन् ॥

karṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahātmānaṃ yuddhāya samupasthitam | kṣveḍitāsphoṭitaravaiḥ siṃhanādaravairapi | dhanuḥśabdaiśca vividhaiḥ kuravaḥ samapūjayan

Seeing the great-souled Karna come to take his stand for battle, the Kurus honoured him with whoops and the slapping of arms, with lion-roars, and with the many twangings of bows.

Note on the text: Speaker corrected from the input's Bhishma to Sanjaya (narration). The page ends here without a closing colophon, as does the CE adhyaya (7.4.15e).