Bhishma Hails Krishna; Krishna Names the Days Left to Him

Verse 1 (12.50.1)

श्रुत्वा तु वचनं भीष्मो वासुदेवस्य धीमतः । किंचिदुन्नाम्य वदनं प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

śrutvā tu vacanaṃ bhīṣmo vāsudevasya dhīmataḥ | kiṃcidunnāmya vadanaṃ prāñjalirvākyamabravīt

Hearing the words of the wise Vasudeva, Bhishma raised his face a little and, with joined palms, spoke.

Verse 2 (12.50.2)

नमस्ते भगवन्कृष्ण लोकानां प्रभवाप्यय । त्वं हि कर्ता हृषीकेश संहर्ता चापराजितः ॥

namaste bhagavankṛṣṇa lokānāṃ prabhavāpyaya | tvaṃ hi kartā hṛṣīkeśa saṃhartā cāparājitaḥ

Homage to you, blessed Krishna, source and dissolution of the worlds! You are the maker, Hrishikesha, and also the unconquered destroyer.

Note on the text: Speaker: Bhishma, as the page's heading 12-50-2x gives.

Verse 3 (12.50.3)

विश्वकर्मन्नमस्तेऽस्तु विश्वात्मन्विश्वसंभव । अपवर्गस्थ भूतानां पञ्चानां परतः स्थित ॥

viśvakarmannamaste'stu viśvātmanviśvasaṃbhava | apavargastha bhūtānāṃ pañcānāṃ parataḥ sthita

Homage to you, Vishvakarman! Homage to you, soul of the universe, origin of the universe! O abider in final liberation, O you who stand beyond the five elements of beings!

Verse 4 (12.50.4)

नमस्ते त्रिषु लोकेषु नमस्ते परतस्त्रिषु । योगेश्वर नमस्तेऽस्तु त्वं हि सर्वपरायणः ॥

namaste triṣu lokeṣu namaste paratastriṣu | yogeśvara namaste'stu tvaṃ hi sarvaparāyaṇaḥ

Homage to you in the three worlds, homage to you beyond the three! Homage to you, Lord of Yoga, for you are the final refuge of all.

Verse 5 (12.50.5)

मत्संश्रितं यदात्थ त्वं वचः पुरुषसत्तम । तेन पश्यामि ते दिव्यान्भावांस्त्रिषु च वर्त्मसु ॥

matsaṃśritaṃ yadāttha tvaṃ vacaḥ puruṣasattama | tena paśyāmi te divyānbhāvāṃstriṣu ca vartmasu

Through the words you have spoken concerning me, O best of men, I behold your divine states in the three paths.

Verse 6 (12.50.6)

तच्च पश्यामि तत्वेन यत्ते रूपं सनातनम् । सप्त मार्गा निरुद्धास्ते वायोरमिततेजसः ॥

tacca paśyāmi tatvena yatte rūpaṃ sanātanam | sapta mārgā niruddhāste vāyoramitatejasaḥ

And I see in truth that eternal form of yours: the seven paths of the Wind, of boundless splendour, are held in check by you.

Verse 7 (12.50.7)

दिवं ते शिरसा व्याप्तं पद्भ्यां देवी वसुंधरा । दिशो भुजा रविश्चक्षुर्वीर्ये शक्रः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥

divaṃ te śirasā vyāptaṃ padbhyāṃ devī vasuṃdharā | diśo bhujā raviścakṣurvīrye śakraḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

Heaven is pervaded by your head and the divine Earth by your feet; the quarters are your arms, the sun your eye, and Shakra is established in your prowess.

Note on the text: Corrected पभ्द्यां → पद्भ्यां (misprint in Wikisource; letters transposed; CE padbhyāṃ) and शुक्रः → शक्रः (misprint in Wikisource; शुक्र does not fit वीर्ये; CE śakraḥ — Indra established in his prowess).

Verse 8 (12.50.8)

अतसीपुष्पसंकाशं पीतवाससमच्युतम् । वपुर्ह्यनुमिमीमस्ते मेघस्येव सविद्युतः ॥

atasīpuṣpasaṃkāśaṃ pītavāsasamacyutam | vapurhyanumimīmaste meghasyeva savidyutaḥ

Your body, O Achyuta, is the colour of the flax flower and clad in yellow; we perceive it like a cloud streaked with lightning.

Verse 9 (12.50.9)

त्वां प्रपन्नाय भक्ताय गतिमिष्टां जिगीषवे । यच्छ्रेयः पुण्डरीकाक्ष तद्ध्यायस्व सुरोत्तम ॥

tvāṃ prapannāya bhaktāya gatimiṣṭāṃ jigīṣave | yacchreyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣa taddhyāyasva surottama

For me, who have taken refuge in you, your devotee, who long for the goal I desire—whatever is best, O lotus-eyed one, foremost of gods, bear that in mind.

Verse 10 (12.50.10)

यतः खलु परा भक्तिर्मयि ते पुरुषर्षभ । ततो मया वपुर्दिव्यं तव राजन्प्रदर्शितम् ॥

yataḥ khalu parā bhaktirmayi te puruṣarṣabha | tato mayā vapurdivyaṃ tava rājanpradarśitam

Because your devotion to me is so great, O bull among men, I have shown you my divine form, O king.

Note on the text: Speaker: Vasudeva (Krishna), as the page's heading 12-50-10x gives.

Verse 11 (12.50.11)

न ह्यभक्ताय राजेन्द्र भक्तायानृजवे न च । दर्शयाम्यहमात्मानं न चादान्ताय भारत ॥

na hyabhaktāya rājendra bhaktāyānṛjave na ca | darśayāmyahamātmānaṃ na cādāntāya bhārata

For I do not show myself to one without devotion, O lord of kings, nor to the devoted but crooked, nor to the unrestrained, O Bharata.

Verse 12 (12.50.12)

भवांस्तु मम भक्तश्च नित्यं चार्जवमास्थितः । दमे तपसि सत्ये च दाने च निरतः शुचिः ॥

bhavāṃstu mama bhaktaśca nityaṃ cārjavamāsthitaḥ | dame tapasi satye ca dāne ca nirataḥ śuciḥ

But you are my devotee, ever established in uprightness, devoted to self-control, austerity, truth and giving, and pure.

Verse 13 (12.50.13)

अर्हस्त्वं भीष्म मां द्रष्टुं तपसा स्वेन पार्थिव । तव ह्युपस्थिता लोका येभ्यो नावर्तते पुनः ॥

arhastvaṃ bhīṣma māṃ draṣṭuṃ tapasā svena pārthiva | tava hyupasthitā lokā yebhyo nāvartate punaḥ

By your own austerity you deserve to see me, Bhishma; for the worlds from which there is no return are ready for you.

Verse 14 (12.50.14)

पञ्चाशतं षट् च कुरुप्रवीर । शेषं दिनानां तव जीवितस्य । ततः शुभैः कर्मफलोदयैस्त्वं । समेष्यसे भीष्म विमुच्य देहम् ॥

pañcāśataṃ ṣaṭ ca kurupravīra | śeṣaṃ dinānāṃ tava jīvitasya | tataḥ śubhaiḥ karmaphalodayaistvaṃ | sameṣyase bhīṣma vimucya deham

Of the days of your life, O foremost hero of the Kurus, fifty-six remain. After that, having cast off your body, you will join the fruits that rise from your good deeds, Bhishma.

Verse 15 (12.50.15)

एते हि देवा वसवो विमाना । न्यास्थाय सर्वे ज्वलिताग्निकल्पाः । अन्तर्हितास्त्वां प्रतिपालयन्ति । काष्ठां प्रपद्यन्तमुदक्पतङ्गम् ॥

ete hi devā vasavo vimānā | nyāsthāya sarve jvalitāgnikalpāḥ | antarhitāstvāṃ pratipālayanti | kāṣṭhāṃ prapadyantamudakpataṅgam

These Vasus, gods blazing like fire, have mounted their celestial cars and, unseen, are waiting for you—for the sun to enter the northern quarter.

Note on the text: Corrected उदक्पतङ्गाम् → उदक्पतङ्गम् (misprint in Wikisource; stray ā — पतङ्ग, the sun, is masculine and the object of प्रपद्यन्तम्; CE pataṃgam).

Verse 16 (12.50.16)

व्यावृत्तमात्रे भगवत्युदीचीं । सूर्ये जगत्कालवशं प्रपन्ने । गन्तासि लोकान्पुरुषप्रवीर । नावर्तते यानुपलभ्य विद्वान् ॥

vyāvṛttamātre bhagavatyudīcīṃ | sūrye jagatkālavaśaṃ prapanne | gantāsi lokānpuruṣapravīra | nāvartate yānupalabhya vidvān

As soon as the blessed Sun has turned back toward the north, bringing the world under the sway of time, you will depart, O foremost of heroes, to those worlds which a wise man, once he has reached them, does not leave again.

Verse 17 (12.50.17)

अमुं च लोकं त्वयि भीष्म याते । ज्ञानानि सर्वाणि पराभविष्यन् । अतस्तु सर्वे तव सन्निकर्षं । समागता धर्मविवेचनाय ॥

amuṃ ca lokaṃ tvayi bhīṣma yāte | jñānāni sarvāṇi parābhaviṣyan | atastu sarve tava sannikarṣaṃ | samāgatā dharmavivecanāya

And when you have gone to that other world, Bhishma, all knowledge will wane. That is why all of us have gathered near you, to sort out the questions of dharma.

Verse 18 (12.50.18)

तज्ज्ञातिशोकोपहतश्रुताय । सत्याभिसन्धाय युधिष्ठिराय । प्रब्रूषि धर्मार्थसमाधियुक्तं । सत्यं वचोऽस्यापनुदेच्छुचं यत् ॥

tajjñātiśokopahataśrutāya | satyābhisandhāya yudhiṣṭhirāya | prabrūṣi dharmārthasamādhiyuktaṃ | satyaṃ vaco'syāpanudecchucaṃ yat

To Yudhishthira, who holds fast to truth and whose learning is stricken by grief for his kinsmen, you will speak true words, grounded in the settled conclusions of dharma and artha, that may drive away his sorrow.