The Ocean, the Rivers and the Reed

Verse 1 (12.113.1)

राजा राज्यमनुप्राप्य दुर्बलो भरतर्षभ । अमित्रस्यातिवृद्धस्य कथं तिष्ठेदसाधनः ॥

rājā rājyamanuprāpya durbalo bharatarṣabha | amitrasyātivṛddhasya kathaṃ tiṣṭhedasādhanaḥ

O best of the Bharatas, a weak king who has just come into his kingdom and has no resources — how is he to hold his ground against an enemy who has grown very powerful?

Verse 2 (12.113.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । सरितां चैव संवादं सागरस्य च भारत ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | saritāṃ caiva saṃvādaṃ sāgarasya ca bhārata

On this they recount an ancient tale, the conversation of the rivers and the ocean, O Bharata.

Verse 3 (12.113.3)

सुरारिनिलयः शश्वत्सागरः सरितां पतिः । पप्रच्छ सरितः सर्वाः संशयं जातमात्मनः ॥

surārinilayaḥ śaśvatsāgaraḥ saritāṃ patiḥ | papraccha saritaḥ sarvāḥ saṃśayaṃ jātamātmanaḥ

The ocean, lord of rivers, the ever-abiding home of the enemies of the gods, asked all the rivers about a doubt that had arisen in him.

Verse 4 (12.113.4)

समूलशाखान्पश्यामि निहतान्क्वापि नो द्रुमान् । युष्माभिरिह पूर्णाभिरन्यांस्तत्र न वेतसान् ॥

samūlaśākhānpaśyāmi nihatānkvāpi no drumān | yuṣmābhiriha pūrṇābhiranyāṃstatra na vetasān

"I see trees brought down, roots, branches and all, when you rivers are in flood; but there I do not see the reeds among the others.

Verse 5 (12.113.5)

अपकायश्चाल्पसारो वेतसः कूलजश्च यः । अज्ञया वा नानीतः किं च वा तेन वः कृतम् ॥

apakāyaścālpasāro vetasaḥ kūlajaśca yaḥ | ajñayā vā nānītaḥ kiṃ ca vā tena vaḥ kṛtam

The reed is small-bodied, of slight substance, and grows on your banks. Is it left because you did not notice it, or what has it done for you?

Note on the text: Removed a stray hyphen: अ-पकायः → अपकायः (misprint in Wikisource). The alignment found no match; the verse is CE 12.114.5 (akāyaś cālpasāraś ca vetasaḥ kūlajaś ca vaḥ / avajñāya na śakyo vā kiṃ cid vā tena vaḥ kṛtam); Wikisource's second line अज्ञया वा नानीतः is a recension variant (the page's own note cites the reading अवज्ञाय न शक्यो वा), kept.

Verse 6 (12.113.6)

तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सर्वासामेव वो मतम् । यथा चेमानि कूलानि हित्वा नायाति वेतसः ॥

tadahaṃ śrotumicchāmi sarvāsāmeva vo matam | yathā cemāni kūlāni hitvā nāyāti vetasaḥ

I wish to hear the view of every one of you: how is it that the reed leaves these banks and yet does not come down with you?"

Verse 7 (12.113.7)

तत्र प्राह नदी गङ्गा वाक्यमुत्तरमर्थवत् । हेतुमद्ग्राहकं चैव सागरं सरितां पतिम् ॥

tatra prāha nadī gaṅgā vākyamuttaramarthavat | hetumadgrāhakaṃ caiva sāgaraṃ saritāṃ patim

Then the river Ganga gave the lord of rivers, the ocean, an answer full of meaning, with reasons he could grasp.

Note on the text: Speaker: the input carried the Ocean over from verse 6; this verse is narration (Bhishma). Verses 4-6 are the Ocean's speech (page heading 12-113-4), verses 8-11 Ganga's.

Verse 8 (12.113.8)

तिष्ठन्त्येते यथास्थानं नगा ह्येकनिकेतनाः । ततस्त्यजन्ति तत्स्थानं प्रातिलोम्यान्न वेतसः ॥

tiṣṭhantyete yathāsthānaṃ nagā hyekaniketanāḥ | tatastyajanti tatsthānaṃ prātilomyānna vetasaḥ

"These trees stand firm, each in its own place, each fixed to a single dwelling; because they oppose us they lose that place. The reed does not.

Verse 9 (12.113.9)

वेतसो वेगमायान्तं दृष्ट्वा नमति नापरे । स च वेगे ह्यतिक्रान्ते स्थानमापद्यते पुनः ॥

vetaso vegamāyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā namati nāpare | sa ca vege hyatikrānte sthānamāpadyate punaḥ

The reed bends when it sees the flood coming, and the others do not; and when the flood has passed, it regains its place.

Verse 10 (12.113.10)

कालज्ञः समयज्ञश्च सदावश्यश्च नो द्रुमः । अनुलोमवृत्तितस्तब्धस्तेन त्वां नैति वेतसः ॥

kālajñaḥ samayajñaśca sadāvaśyaśca no drumaḥ | anulomavṛttitastabdhastena tvāṃ naiti vetasaḥ

It knows the time and the occasion, it is always yielding, and it is not a stubborn tree; being compliant in its ways and not rigid, the reed therefore does not come down to you.

Verse 11 (12.113.11)

मारुतोदकवेगेन ये नमन्त्युन्नमन्ति च । ओषध्यः पादपा गुल्मा न ते यान्ति पराभवम् ॥

mārutodakavegena ye namantyunnamanti ca | oṣadhyaḥ pādapā gulmā na te yānti parābhavam

Herbs, trees and shrubs that bend and rise again under the force of wind and water never meet defeat."

Verse 12 (12.113.12)

यो हि शत्रोर्विवृद्धस्य प्रभोर्बन्धविनाशने । पूर्वं न सहते वेगं क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति ॥

yo hi śatrorvivṛddhasya prabhorbandhavināśane | pūrvaṃ na sahate vegaṃ kṣiprameva vinaśyati

He who does not bear, at the outset, the onrush of a powerful enemy who has grown strong and is bent on breaking his bonds is quickly destroyed.

Verse 13 (12.113.13)

सारासारं बलं वीर्यमात्मनो द्विषतश्च यः । जानन्विचरति प्राज्ञो न स याति पराभवम् ॥

sārāsāraṃ balaṃ vīryamātmano dviṣataśca yaḥ | jānanvicarati prājño na sa yāti parābhavam

The wise man who goes about knowing the strong and weak points of his own strength and prowess and of his enemy's does not meet defeat.

Verse 14 (12.113.14)

एवमेव यदा विद्वान्मन्यते विपुलं बलम् । संश्रयेद्वैतसीं वृत्तिमेतत्प्रज्ञानलक्षणम् ॥

evameva yadā vidvānmanyate vipulaṃ balam | saṃśrayedvaitasīṃ vṛttimetatprajñānalakṣaṇam

In the same way, when the learned man judges his enemy's strength to be great, he should adopt the way of the reed; this is the mark of wisdom.