Shishupala Mocks Bhishma: The Tale of the Hypocrite Swan

Verse 1 (2.64.1)

बिभीषिकाभिर्बह्वीभिर्भीषयन्भीष्म पार्थिवान् । न व्यपत्रपसे कस्माद्वृद्धः सन्कुलपांसनः ॥

bibhīṣikābhirbahvībhirbhīṣayanbhīṣma pārthivān | na vyapatrapase kasmādvṛddhaḥ sankulapāṃsanaḥ

Frightening the kings with all these many bogeys, Bhishma, are you not ashamed, old man that you are and a disgrace to your family?

Verse 2 (2.64.2)

युक्तमेतत्तृतीयायां प्रकृतौ वर्तता त्वया । वक्तुं धर्मादपेतार्थं त्वं हि सर्वकुरूत्तमः ॥

yuktametattṛtīyāyāṃ prakṛtau vartatā tvayā | vaktuṃ dharmādapetārthaṃ tvaṃ hi sarvakurūttamaḥ

It well becomes you, living as you do in the third nature, to speak words empty of dharma, you who are the "best of all the Kurus"!

Verse 3 (2.64.3)

नावि नौरिव सम्बद्धा यथान्धो वान्धमन्वियात् । तथाभूता हि कौरव्या येषां भीष्म त्वमग्रणीः ॥

nāvi nauriva sambaddhā yathāndho vāndhamanviyāt | tathābhūtā hi kauravyā yeṣāṃ bhīṣma tvamagraṇīḥ

Like a boat tied to a boat, like the blind following the blind, such are the Kauravas, Bhishma, whose leader you are.

Verse 4 (2.64.4)

पूतनाघातपूर्वाणि कर्माण्यस्य विशेषतः । त्वया कीर्तयताऽस्माकं भूयः प्रव्यथितं मनः ॥

pūtanāghātapūrvāṇi karmāṇyasya viśeṣataḥ | tvayā kīrtayatā'smākaṃ bhūyaḥ pravyathitaṃ manaḥ

By recounting his deeds one by one, beginning with the killing of Putana, you have troubled our minds all the more.

Verse 5 (2.64.5)

अवलिप्तस्य मूर्खस्य केशवं स्तोतुमिच्छतः । कथं भीष्म न ते जिह्वा शतधेयं विदीर्यते ॥

avaliptasya mūrkhasya keśavaṃ stotumicchataḥ | kathaṃ bhīṣma na te jihvā śatadheyaṃ vidīryate

Proud fool that you are, wishing to praise Keshava, how is it, Bhishma, that this tongue of yours does not split into a hundred pieces?

Note on the text: Corrected मूर्शस्य → मूर्खस्य (misprint in Wikisource; श for ख; CE mūrkhasya).

Verse 6 (2.64.6)

यत्र कुत्सा प्रयोक्तव्या भीष्म बालतरैर्नरैः । तमिमं ज्ञानवृद्धः सन्गोपं संस्तोतुमिच्छसि ॥

yatra kutsā prayoktavyā bhīṣma bālatarairnaraiḥ | tamimaṃ jñānavṛddhaḥ sangopaṃ saṃstotumicchasi

A man whom even mere boys would scorn, this cowherd, you, who are old in knowledge, wish to extol!

Verse 7 (2.64.7)

यद्यनेन हता बाल्ये शकुनिश्चित्रमत्र किम् । तौ वाऽश्ववृषभौ भीष्म यौ न युद्धविशारदौ ॥

yadyanena hatā bālye śakuniścitramatra kim | tau vā'śvavṛṣabhau bhīṣma yau na yuddhaviśāradau

If he killed a bird in his childhood, what wonder is there in that? Or those two, the horse and the bull, Bhishma, who were no masters of fighting?

Note on the text: Corrected भीष्ण → भीष्म (misprint in Wikisource; the vocative of Bhishma's name, as in the CE).

Verse 8 (2.64.8)

चेतनारहितं काष्ठं यद्यनेन निपातितम् । पादेन शकटं भीष्म तत्र किं कृतमद्भुतम् ॥

cetanārahitaṃ kāṣṭhaṃ yadyanena nipātitam | pādena śakaṭaṃ bhīṣma tatra kiṃ kṛtamadbhutam

If with his foot he overturned a cart, a lifeless piece of wood, Bhishma, what marvel did he perform there?

Note on the text: Corrected भीष्ण → भीष्म (misprint in Wikisource; as in the CE).

Verse 9 (2.64.9)

अर्कप्रमाणौ तौ वृक्षौ यद्यनेन निपातितौ । नागश्च दमितोऽनेन तत्र को विस्मयः कृतः ॥

arkapramāṇau tau vṛkṣau yadyanena nipātitau | nāgaśca damito'nena tatra ko vismayaḥ kṛtaḥ

If he felled those two trees, no bigger than arka shrubs, and tamed a serpent, what cause for amazement did he give?

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick and quote marks bracketing the verse). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE records it only as an interpolation, star passage 367* (after 2.38.8).

Verse 10 (2.64.10)

वल्मीकमात्रः सप्ताहं यद्यनेन धृतोऽचलः । तदा गोवर्धनो भीष्म न तच्चित्रं मतं मम ॥

valmīkamātraḥ saptāhaṃ yadyanena dhṛto'calaḥ | tadā govardhano bhīṣma na taccitraṃ mataṃ mama

If for seven days he held up a hill no bigger than an anthill, Govardhana, Bhishma, I do not count that a marvel.

Verse 11 (2.64.11)

भुक्तमेतेन बह्वन्नं क्रीडता नगमूर्धनि । इति ते भीष्म शृण्वानाः परे विस्मयमागताः ॥

bhuktametena bahvannaṃ krīḍatā nagamūrdhani | iti te bhīṣma śṛṇvānāḥ pare vismayamāgatāḥ

"He ate a great heap of food while playing on the mountain-top": hearing this from you, Bhishma, others were filled with wonder.

Note on the text: Corrected भीष्ण → भीष्म (misprint in Wikisource; CE bhīṣma).

Verse 12 (2.64.12)

यस्य चानेन धर्मज्ञ भुक्तमन्नं बलीयसः । स चानेन हतः कंस इत्येतत्तु महाद्भुतम् ॥

yasya cānena dharmajña bhuktamannaṃ balīyasaḥ | sa cānena hataḥ kaṃsa ityetattu mahādbhutam

And that he killed the mighty Kamsa, knower of dharma, the very man whose food he had eaten: that is a great marvel indeed!

Note on the text: Wikisource prints three lines here (12a, 12b, 13a) before the verse-end mark; its second line, स चानेन हतः कंस इत्येतत्तु बलीयसः, is a garbled duplicate of the third (the next line copied early, with बलीयसः repeated from line 1). Dropped the duplicate; the verse is 12a + 13a, as in CE 2.38.11. Wikisource's इत्येतत्तु महाद्भुतम् ("this is a great marvel indeed", ironic) differs from the CE's ity etan na mahādbhutam; kept as printed.

Verse 13 (2.64.13)

न ते श्रुतमिदं भीष्म नूनं कथयतां सताम् । यद्वक्ष्ये त्वामधर्मज्ञं वाक्यं कुरुकुलाधम ॥

na te śrutamidaṃ bhīṣma nūnaṃ kathayatāṃ satām | yadvakṣye tvāmadharmajñaṃ vākyaṃ kurukulādhama

Surely you never heard it, Bhishma, from the good as they spoke, this saying that I shall tell you, you who do not know dharma, basest of the Kuru line.

Note on the text: Re-divided at Wikisource's own verse-end marks: Wikisource 13b + 14a form this verse (CE 2.38.12).

Verse 14 (2.64.14)

स्त्रीषु गोषु न शस्त्राणि पातयेद्ब्राह्मणेषु च । इति सन्तोऽनुशासन्ति सज्जना धर्मिणः सदा । भीष्म लोके हि तत्सर्वं वितथं त्वयि दृश्यते ॥

strīṣu goṣu na śastrāṇi pātayedbrāhmaṇeṣu ca | iti santo'nuśāsanti sajjanā dharmiṇaḥ sadā | bhīṣma loke hi tatsarvaṃ vitathaṃ tvayi dṛśyate

"One must not let weapons fall upon women, cows or brahmins": so the good, the virtuous, the righteous always teach. Yet in you, Bhishma, all this is seen in the world to be false.

Note on the text: Re-divided at Wikisource's own verse-end marks: Wikisource 14b, 15a and 15b form one three-line verse (Wikisource 15 is included here). Line 1 = CE 2.38.13ab (the CE's second line, yasya cānnāni bhuñjīta yaś ca syāc charaṇāgataḥ, is absent from Wikisource); lines 2–3 = CE 2.38.14. Corrected सञ्जना → सज्जना (misprint in Wikisource; ञ for ज; CE sajjanā).

Verse 15 (2.64.15)

ज्ञानवृद्धं च वृद्धं च भूयांसं केशवं मम । अजानत इवाख्यासि संस्तुवन्कौरवाधम ॥

jñānavṛddhaṃ ca vṛddhaṃ ca bhūyāṃsaṃ keśavaṃ mama | ajānata ivākhyāsi saṃstuvankauravādhama

As if you knew nothing, basest of the Kauravas, you sing Keshava's praises and declare him old in knowledge, old in years, and greater than I.

Note on the text: = CE 2.38.15ab–cd (Wikisource reads कौरवाधम where the CE has kurusattama).

Verse 16 (2.64.16)

गोघ्नः स्त्रीघ्नश्च सन्भीष्म त्वद्वाक्याद्यदि पूज्यते । एवम्भूतश्च यो भीष्म कथं संस्तवमर्हति ॥

goghnaḥ strīghnaśca sanbhīṣma tvadvākyādyadi pūjyate | evambhūtaśca yo bhīṣma kathaṃ saṃstavamarhati

If, on your word, Bhishma, he is honoured though he has killed a cow and a woman, how can such a man, Bhishma, deserve praise?

Note on the text: Corrected गोघ्रः → गोघ्नः (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct, घ्र for घ्न; CE goghnaḥ). The opening words = CE 2.38.15e; the rest of the verse is in the CE only as an interpolation, star passage 370* (after 2.38.15).

Verse 17 (2.64.17)

असौ मतिमतां श्रेष्ठो य एष जगतः प्रभुः । सम्भावयति चाप्येवं त्वद्वाक्याच्च जनार्दनः । एवमेतत्सर्वमिति तत्सर्वं वितथं ध्रुवम् ॥

asau matimatāṃ śreṣṭho ya eṣa jagataḥ prabhuḥ | sambhāvayati cāpyevaṃ tvadvākyācca janārdanaḥ | evametatsarvamiti tatsarvaṃ vitathaṃ dhruvam

"This is the best of the wise, this is the lord of the world": on the strength of your words Janardana too fancies himself so, thinking "all this is just as he says". Yet all of it is certainly false.

Verse 18 (2.64.18)

आत्मानमात्मनाऽऽधातुं यदि शक्तो जनार्दनः । अकामयन्तं तं भीष्म कथं साध्विव पश्यसि ॥

ātmānamātmanā''dhātuṃ yadi śakto janārdanaḥ | akāmayantaṃ taṃ bhīṣma kathaṃ sādhviva paśyasi

If Janardana is able to raise himself up by his own power, then how is it, Bhishma, that you look on him as a good man, when he himself does not ask for this?

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); no matching line was found in the CE text or its apparatus for this stretch.

Verse 19 (2.64.19)

न गाथा गाथिनं शास्ति बहुचेदपि गायति । प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि कुलिङ्गशकुनिर्यथा ॥

na gāthā gāthinaṃ śāsti bahucedapi gāyati | prakṛtiṃ yānti bhūtāni kuliṅgaśakuniryathā

A song does not teach the singer, however much he sings it. Creatures follow their own nature, like the kulinga bird.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads कुलिङ्ग (its own note glosses kuliṅga as a ground-dwelling bird) where the CE has bhūliṅga; kept as printed.

Verse 20 (2.64.20)

नूनं प्रकृतिरेषा ते जघन्या नात्र संशयः । नदीसुतत्वात्ते चित्तं चञ्चलं न स्थिरं स्मृतम् ॥

nūnaṃ prakṛtireṣā te jaghanyā nātra saṃśayaḥ | nadīsutatvātte cittaṃ cañcalaṃ na sthiraṃ smṛtam

Surely this nature of yours is base; there is no doubt of it. Because you are the son of a river, your mind is held to be fickle, never steady.

Note on the text: Corrected संशयटः → संशयः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ट). Removed stray wiki marks (backtick and quote mark) around the second line. Line 1 = CE 2.38.18ab; line 2 is in the CE only as an interpolation, star passage 371* (after 2.38.18ab).

Verse 21 (2.64.21)

अतः पापीयसी चैषां पाण्डवानामपीष्यते । येषामर्च्यतमः कृष्णस्त्वं च येषां प्रदर्शकः ॥

ataḥ pāpīyasī caiṣāṃ pāṇḍavānāmapīṣyate | yeṣāmarcyatamaḥ kṛṣṇastvaṃ ca yeṣāṃ pradarśakaḥ

So the nature of these Pandavas too is held to be still more wicked, since for them Krishna is the most worthy of worship and you are their guide.

Note on the text: = CE 2.38.18cd + 2.38.19ab (Wikisource's verse division runs half a verse behind the CE's here because of the added line in the verse before).

Verse 22 (2.64.22)

धर्मवांस्त्वमधर्मज्ञः सतां मार्गादवप्लुतः । को हि धर्मिणमात्मानं जानञ्ज्ञानविदां वरः ॥

dharmavāṃstvamadharmajñaḥ satāṃ mārgādavaplutaḥ | ko hi dharmiṇamātmānaṃ jānañjñānavidāṃ varaḥ

You call yourself righteous, yet you do not know dharma; you have fallen from the path of the good. For who, the best of those who know, aware of himself as a righteous man,

Note on the text: = CE 2.38.19cd + 2.38.20ab. Wikisource's धर्मवान् ("righteous") differs from the CE's dharmavāk ("speaking of dharma"); kept as printed.

Verse 23 (2.64.23)

कुर्याद्यथा त्वया भीष्म कृतं धर्ममवेक्षता । चेत्त्वं धर्मं विजानासि यदि प्राज्ञा मतिस्तव ॥

kuryādyathā tvayā bhīṣma kṛtaṃ dharmamavekṣatā | cettvaṃ dharmaṃ vijānāsi yadi prājñā matistava

would act as you have acted, Bhishma, with your eye on dharma, if indeed you know dharma and your mind is wise?

Note on the text: Corrected भीषम → भीष्म (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct). Line 1 = CE 2.38.20cd; line 2 is in the CE only as an interpolation, star passage 372* (after 2.38.20).

Verse 24 (2.64.24)

अन्यकामा हि धर्मज्ञा कन्यका प्राज्ञमानिना । अम्बा नामेति भद्रं ते कथं साऽपहृता त्वया ॥

anyakāmā hi dharmajñā kanyakā prājñamāninā | ambā nāmeti bhadraṃ te kathaṃ sā'pahṛtā tvayā

The maiden named Amba knew dharma and had set her heart on another; how then, if you please, was she carried off by you, who think yourself so wise?

Verse 25 (2.64.25)

तां त्वयाऽपहृतां भीष्म कन्यां नैषितवान्नृपः । भ्राता विचित्रवीर्यस्ते सतां मार्गमनुस्मरन् ॥

tāṃ tvayā'pahṛtāṃ bhīṣma kanyāṃ naiṣitavānnṛpaḥ | bhrātā vicitravīryaste satāṃ mārgamanusmaran

That maiden you carried off, Bhishma, your brother King Vichitravirya would not have, mindful of the path of the good.

Verse 26 (2.64.26)

भार्ययोर्यस्य चान्येन मिषतः प्राज्ञमानिनः । तव जातान्यपत्यानि सज्जनाचरिते पथि ॥

bhāryayoryasya cānyena miṣataḥ prājñamāninaḥ | tava jātānyapatyāni sajjanācarite pathi

And while you, so proud of your wisdom, looked on, children were begotten on his two wives by another man, on the path the good have walked!

Verse 27 (2.64.27)

को हि धर्मोऽस्ति ते भीष्म ब्रह्मचर्यमिदं वृथा । यद्धारयसि मोहाद्वा क्लीबत्वाद्वा न संशयः ॥

ko hi dharmo'sti te bhīṣma brahmacaryamidaṃ vṛthā | yaddhārayasi mohādvā klībatvādvā na saṃśayaḥ

What dharma is there in you, Bhishma? This celibacy of yours is pointless; you keep it either out of folly or out of impotence, no doubt of it.

Note on the text: Corrected भीषम → भीष्म (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct).

Verse 28 (2.64.28)

न त्वहं तव धर्मज्ञ पश्याम्युपचयं क्वचित् । न हि ते सेविता वृद्धा य एवं धर्ममब्रवीः ॥

na tvahaṃ tava dharmajña paśyāmyupacayaṃ kvacit | na hi te sevitā vṛddhā ya evaṃ dharmamabravīḥ

I see no growth in you anywhere, knower of dharma. You have never waited upon the elders, or you would not have spoken of dharma like this.

Note on the text: Corrected न त्वं → न त्वहं (misprint in Wikisource; the verb पश्यामि needs "I", and त्वं clashes with तव; CE na tv ahaṃ) and उपचरं → उपचयं (misprint in Wikisource; र for य; CE upacayaṃ).

Verse 29 (2.64.29)

इष्टं दत्तमधीतं च यज्ञाश्च बहुदक्षिणाः । सर्वमेतदपत्यस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् ॥

iṣṭaṃ dattamadhītaṃ ca yajñāśca bahudakṣiṇāḥ | sarvametadapatyasya kalāṃ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm

Sacrifice, gifts, study, and rites with rich fees: all of these together are not worth a sixteenth part of having offspring.

Verse 30 (2.64.30)

व्रतोपवासैर्बहुभिः कृतं भवति भीष्म यत् । सर्वं तदनपत्यस्य मोघं भवति निश्चयात् ॥

vratopavāsairbahubhiḥ kṛtaṃ bhavati bhīṣma yat | sarvaṃ tadanapatyasya moghaṃ bhavati niścayāt

Whatever is gained, Bhishma, by many vows and fasts, all of it surely comes to nothing for one who is childless.

Verse 31 (2.64.31)

सोऽनपत्यश्च वृद्धश्च मिथ्याधर्मानुशासनात् । हंसवत्त्वमपीदानीं ज्ञातिभ्यः प्राप्नुया वधम् ॥

so'napatyaśca vṛddhaśca mithyādharmānuśāsanāt | haṃsavattvamapīdānīṃ jñātibhyaḥ prāpnuyā vadham

You are childless and old, and you teach a false dharma; so you too may now meet death at the hands of your own kin, as the swan did.

Verse 32 (2.64.32)

एवं हि कथयन्त्यन्ये नरा ज्ञानविदः पुरा । भीष्म यत्तदहं सम्यग्वक्ष्यामि तव शृण्वतः ॥

evaṃ hi kathayantyanye narā jñānavidaḥ purā | bhīṣma yattadahaṃ samyagvakṣyāmi tava śṛṇvataḥ

So other men of knowledge told it long ago. Listen, Bhishma, and I shall tell it to you in full.

Verse 33 (2.64.33)

वृद्धः किल समुद्रान्ते कश्चिद्धंसोऽभवत्पुरा । धर्मवागन्यथावृत्तः पक्षिणः सोऽनुशास्ति च ॥

vṛddhaḥ kila samudrānte kaściddhaṃso'bhavatpurā | dharmavāganyathāvṛttaḥ pakṣiṇaḥ so'nuśāsti ca

Once, they say, there lived on the seashore an old swan who talked of dharma but behaved otherwise, and he used to instruct the birds.

Verse 34 (2.64.34)

धर्मं चरत माऽधर्ममिति तस्य वचः किल । पक्षिणः शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं धर्मवादिनः ॥

dharmaṃ carata mā'dharmamiti tasya vacaḥ kila | pakṣiṇaḥ śuśruvurbhīṣma satataṃ dharmavādinaḥ

"Practise dharma, not adharma": such, they say, were his words, and the birds, Bhishma, constantly heard him speaking of dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected धर्म → धर्मं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara on the object of चरत; CE dharmaṃ).

Verse 35 (2.64.35)

हंसस्य तु वचः श्रुत्वा मुदिताः सर्वपक्षिणः । ऊचुश्चैव खगा हंसं परिवार्य च सर्वशः ॥

haṃsasya tu vacaḥ śrutvā muditāḥ sarvapakṣiṇaḥ | ūcuścaiva khagā haṃsaṃ parivārya ca sarvaśaḥ

Hearing the swan's words, all the birds were delighted, and they gathered round the swan on every side and spoke to him:

Note on the text: Corrected स्वगा → खगा (misprint in Wikisource; स्व for ख; Appendix I reads khagā). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 1–2.

Verse 36 (2.64.36)

कथयस्व भवान्सर्वं पक्षिणां तु समासतः । को हि नाम द्विजश्रेष्ठ ब्रूहि नो धर्म उत्तमः ॥

kathayasva bhavānsarvaṃ pakṣiṇāṃ tu samāsataḥ | ko hi nāma dvijaśreṣṭha brūhi no dharma uttamaḥ

"Tell us birds the whole of it, in brief. What, best of birds, is the highest dharma? Tell us."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 3–4. Wikisource prints no heading, but the verse is the birds' question (the appendix heads it pakṣiṇaḥ).

Verse 37 (2.64.37)

प्रजास्वहिंसा धर्मो वै हिंसाऽधर्मः खगव्रजाः । एतदेवानुबोद्धव्यं धर्माधर्मः समासतः ॥

prajāsvahiṃsā dharmo vai hiṃsā'dharmaḥ khagavrajāḥ | etadevānuboddhavyaṃ dharmādharmaḥ samāsataḥ

"Not harming living creatures is dharma, and harming is adharma, O flocks of birds. This, in short, is what you must understand of dharma and adharma."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 5–6.

Verse 38 (2.64.38)

वृद्धहंसवचः श्रुत्वा पक्षिणस्ते सुसंहिताः । ऊचुश्च धर्मलुब्धास्ते स्मयमाना इवाण्डजाः ॥

vṛddhahaṃsavacaḥ śrutvā pakṣiṇaste susaṃhitāḥ | ūcuśca dharmalubdhāste smayamānā ivāṇḍajāḥ

Hearing the old swan's words, the birds, all of one mind and eager for dharma, spoke to him as if smiling:

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 7–8.

Verse 39 (2.64.39)

धर्मं यः कुरुते नित्यं लोके धीरतरोऽण्डजः । स यत्र गच्छेद्धर्मात्मा तन्मे ब्रूहीह तत्त्वतः ॥

dharmaṃ yaḥ kurute nityaṃ loke dhīrataro'ṇḍajaḥ | sa yatra gaccheddharmātmā tanme brūhīha tattvataḥ

"The steadfast bird who always practises dharma in the world: where does that righteous one go? Tell me that truly, here and now."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 9–10. Wikisource prints no heading, but the verse is the birds' question. The appendix continues with two more couplets of question and answer (lines 11–14) that Wikisource does not have.

Verse 40 (2.64.40)

बाला यूयं न जानीध्वं धर्मसूक्ष्मं विहङ्गमाः । धर्मं यः कुरुते लोके सततं शुभबुद्धिना । न चायुषोऽन्ते स्वं देहं त्यक्त्वा स्वर्गं स गच्छति ॥

bālā yūyaṃ na jānīdhvaṃ dharmasūkṣmaṃ vihaṅgamāḥ | dharmaṃ yaḥ kurute loke satataṃ śubhabuddhinā | na cāyuṣo'nte svaṃ dehaṃ tyaktvā svargaṃ sa gacchati

"You are children, birds; you do not know how subtle dharma is. Does not he who always practises dharma in the world with a pure mind leave his body at the end of his life and go to heaven?"

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 15–17. Wikisource reads न चायुषोऽन्ते where the appendix has sa cāyuṣo 'nte; kept as printed and read as a question.

Verse 41 (2.64.41)

तथाऽहमपि च त्यक्त्वा काले देहमिमं द्विजाः । स्वर्गलोकं गमिष्यामि इयं धर्मस्य वै गतिः ॥

tathā'hamapi ca tyaktvā kāle dehamimaṃ dvijāḥ | svargalokaṃ gamiṣyāmi iyaṃ dharmasya vai gatiḥ

"So I too, birds, shall leave this body when the time comes and go to the world of heaven. This is where dharma leads."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 18–19.

Verse 42 (2.64.42)

एवं धर्मकथां चक्रे स हंसः पक्षिणां भृशम् । पक्षिणः शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं धर्ममेव ते ॥

evaṃ dharmakathāṃ cakre sa haṃsaḥ pakṣiṇāṃ bhṛśam | pakṣiṇaḥ śuśruvurbhīṣma satataṃ dharmameva te

So the swan discoursed at length on dharma to the birds, and the birds, Bhishma, listened ever to nothing but dharma.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the CE gives it only in Appendix I No. 22 (after 2.38.31), lines 20–21. The input carried the swan over as speaker from here to the end; the narration is Shishupala's again (the appendix marks śiśupālaḥ before these lines).

Verse 43 (2.64.43)

अथास्य भक्ष्यमाजह्रुः समुद्रजलचारिणः । अण्डजा भीष्म तस्यान्ये धर्मार्थमिति शुश्रुम ॥

athāsya bhakṣyamājahruḥ samudrajalacāriṇaḥ | aṇḍajā bhīṣma tasyānye dharmārthamiti śuśruma

Then other birds that roamed the waters of the sea brought him food, Bhishma, for dharma's sake; so we have heard.

Verse 44 (2.64.44)

ते च तस्य समभ्याशे निक्षिप्याण्डानि सर्वशः । समुद्राम्भस्यमोदन्त चरन्तो भीष्म पक्षिणः ॥

te ca tasya samabhyāśe nikṣipyāṇḍāni sarvaśaḥ | samudrāmbhasyamodanta caranto bhīṣma pakṣiṇaḥ

And leaving all their eggs close by him, the birds went off, Bhishma, roaming and sporting in the waters of the sea.

Verse 45 (2.64.45)

तेषामण्डानि सर्वेषां भक्षयामास पापकृत् । स हंसः सम्प्रमत्तानामप्रमत्तः स्वकर्मणि ॥

teṣāmaṇḍāni sarveṣāṃ bhakṣayāmāsa pāpakṛt | sa haṃsaḥ sampramattānāmapramattaḥ svakarmaṇi

That sinful swan ate the eggs of every one of them, for they were careless, while he was careful in his own business.

Verse 46 (2.64.46)

ततः प्रक्षीयमाणेषु तेषु तेष्वण्डजोऽपरः । अशङ्कत महाप्राज्ञः स कदाचिद्ददर्श ह ॥

tataḥ prakṣīyamāṇeṣu teṣu teṣvaṇḍajo'paraḥ | aśaṅkata mahāprājñaḥ sa kadāciddadarśa ha

Then, as their eggs kept dwindling, another bird, a very wise one, grew suspicious, and one day he saw him at it.

Verse 47 (2.64.47)

ततः सङ्कथयामास दृष्ट्वा हंसस्य किल्बिषम् । तेषां परमदुःखार्तः स पक्षी सर्वपक्षिणाम् ॥

tataḥ saṅkathayāmāsa dṛṣṭvā haṃsasya kilbiṣam | teṣāṃ paramaduḥkhārtaḥ sa pakṣī sarvapakṣiṇām

Having seen the swan's crime, that bird, in deep distress, told it to all the birds.

Verse 48 (2.64.48)

ततः प्रत्यक्षतो दृष्ट्वा पक्षिणस्ते समीपगाः । निजघ्नुस्तं तदा हंसं मिथ्यावृत्तं कुरूद्वह ॥

tataḥ pratyakṣato dṛṣṭvā pakṣiṇaste samīpagāḥ | nijaghnustaṃ tadā haṃsaṃ mithyāvṛttaṃ kurūdvaha

Then the birds came near and, seeing it with their own eyes, killed that swan of false conduct, O joy of the Kurus.

Note on the text: Corrected निजघ्नस्तं → निजघ्नुस्तं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ु of the plural perfect; CE nijaghnus).

Verse 49 (2.64.49)

एवं त्वां हंसधर्माणमपीमे वसुधाधिपाः । निहन्युर्भीष्म सङ्क्रुद्धाः पक्षिणस्तं यथाण्डजम् ॥

evaṃ tvāṃ haṃsadharmāṇamapīme vasudhādhipāḥ | nihanyurbhīṣma saṅkruddhāḥ pakṣiṇastaṃ yathāṇḍajam

So too these lords of the earth may kill you in their fury, Bhishma, for you are like that swan, as the birds killed that bird.

Verse 50 (2.64.50)

गाथामप्यत्र गायन्ति ये पुराणविदो जनाः । भीष्म यां तां च ते सम्यक्कथयिष्यामि भारत ॥

gāthāmapyatra gāyanti ye purāṇavido janāḥ | bhīṣma yāṃ tāṃ ca te samyakkathayiṣyāmi bhārata

Men who know the ancient lore sing a verse about this as well, Bhishma; I shall recite it to you in full, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected सम्यक्वथयिष्यामि → सम्यक्कथयिष्यामि (misprint in Wikisource; व for क; CE samyak kathayiṣyāmi).

Verse 51 (2.64.51)

अन्तरात्मन्यभिहते रौषि पत्ररथाशुचि । अण्डभक्षणकर्मैतत्तव वाचमतीयते ॥

antarātmanyabhihate rauṣi patrarathāśuci | aṇḍabhakṣaṇakarmaitattava vācamatīyate

"Your inner self corrupt, you sing out fine words, unclean bird; but this deed of yours, the eating of eggs, outruns your speech."

Note on the text: The gatha; Wikisource's wording differs from the CE's (antarātmani vinihite rauṣi patraratha vitatham / aṇḍabhakṣaṇam aśuci te karma vācam atiśayate) but carries the same sense; kept as printed.