Bhishma Will Not Fight Shikhandin

Verse 1 (5.172.1)

रोचमानो महाराज पाण्डवानां महारथः । योत्स्यतेऽमरवत्संख्ये परसैन्येषु भारत ॥

rocamāno mahārāja pāṇḍavānāṃ mahārathaḥ | yotsyate'maravatsaṃkhye parasainyeṣu bhārata

Rochamana, great king, a great chariot-warrior of the Pandavas, will fight like an immortal against the enemy's forces in battle, O Bharata.

Verse 2 (5.172.2)

पुरुजित्कुन्तिभोजश्च महेष्वासो महाबलः । मातुलो भीमसेनस्य स च मेऽतिरथो मतः ॥

purujitkuntibhojaśca maheṣvāso mahābalaḥ | mātulo bhīmasenasya sa ca me'tiratho mataḥ

Purujit Kuntibhoja, the mighty archer of great strength, the maternal uncle of Bhimasena — him too I count as an atiratha.

Note on the text: Corrected कृन्तिभोजश्च → कुन्तिभोजश्च (misprint in Wikisource; कृ for कु in the name Kuntibhoja, critical edition kuntibhojaś).

Verse 3 (5.172.3)

एष वीरो महेष्वासः कृती च निपुणश्च ह । चित्रयोधी च शक्तश्च मतो मे रथपुङ्गवः ॥

eṣa vīro maheṣvāsaḥ kṛtī ca nipuṇaśca ha | citrayodhī ca śaktaśca mato me rathapuṅgavaḥ

This hero is a mighty archer, accomplished and skilful, a master of varied fighting and capable; I count him a bull among chariot-warriors.

Verse 4 (5.172.4)

स योत्स्यति हि विक्रम्य मघवानिव दानवैः । योधा ये चास्य विख्याताः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः ॥

sa yotsyati hi vikramya maghavāniva dānavaiḥ | yodhā ye cāsya vikhyātāḥ sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ

He will fight boldly, like Maghavan (Indra) against the Danavas, and so will his renowned warriors, all of them skilled in war.

Verse 5 (5.172.5)

भागिनेयकृते वीरः स करिष्यति संगरे । सुमहत्कर्म पाण्डूनां स्थितः प्रियहिते रतः ॥

bhāgineyakṛte vīraḥ sa kariṣyati saṃgare | sumahatkarma pāṇḍūnāṃ sthitaḥ priyahite rataḥ

For his sister's sons that hero will perform mighty deeds in battle, standing firm for the Pandavas and devoted to their welfare.

Verse 6 (5.172.6)

भैमसेनिर्महाराज हैडिम्बो राक्षसेश्वरः । मतो मे बहुमायावी रथयूथपयूथपः ॥

bhaimasenirmahārāja haiḍimbo rākṣaseśvaraḥ | mato me bahumāyāvī rathayūthapayūthapaḥ

Bhima's son, great king, Haidimba (Ghatotkacha), lord of the Rakshasas, a master of many illusions, I count as a leader of the leaders of chariot-bands.

Verse 7 (5.172.7)

योत्स्यते समरे तात मायावी समरप्रियः । ये चास्य राक्षसा वीराः सचिवा वशवर्तिनः ॥

yotsyate samare tāta māyāvī samarapriyaḥ | ye cāsya rākṣasā vīrāḥ sacivā vaśavartinaḥ

He will fight in battle, my son, a wielder of illusion who loves war, together with his heroic Rakshasa ministers who obey his will.

Verse 8 (5.172.8)

एते चान्ये च बहवो नानाजनपदेश्वराः । समेताः पाण्डवस्यार्थे वासुदेवपुरोगमाः ॥

ete cānye ca bahavo nānājanapadeśvarāḥ | sametāḥ pāṇḍavasyārthe vāsudevapurogamāḥ

These and many other lords of various countries have gathered for the sake of the Pandava, with Vasudeva at their head.

Verse 9 (5.172.9)

एते प्राधान्यतो राजन्पाण्डवस्य महात्मनः । रथाश्चातिरथाश्चैव ये चान्येऽर्धरथा नृप ॥

ete prādhānyato rājanpāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ | rathāścātirathāścaiva ye cānye'rdharathā nṛpa

These, O king, are the chief rathas and atirathas of the great-souled Pandava, and the others who are ardharathas, O lord of men.

Note on the text: Corrected येऽर्धंरथा → येऽर्धरथा (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara, critical edition ardharathā).

Verse 10 (5.172.10)

नेष्यन्ति समरे सेनां भीमां यौधिष्ठिरीं नृप । महेन्द्रेणेव वीरेण पाल्यमानां किरीटिना ॥

neṣyanti samare senāṃ bhīmāṃ yaudhiṣṭhirīṃ nṛpa | mahendreṇeva vīreṇa pālyamānāṃ kirīṭinā

They will lead into battle Yudhishthira's fearsome army, O king, guarded by the hero Kiritin as if by great Indra.

Verse 11 (5.172.11)

तैरहं समरे वीर मायाविद्भिर्जयैषिभिः । योत्स्यामि जयमाकाङ्क्षन्नथ वा निधनं रणे ॥

tairahaṃ samare vīra māyāvidbhirjayaiṣibhiḥ | yotsyāmi jayamākāṅkṣannatha vā nidhanaṃ raṇe

With them, O hero, masters of illusion and eager for victory, I shall fight in battle, desiring victory, or else death on the field.

Verse 12 (5.172.12)

वासुदेवं च पार्थं च चक्रगाण्डीवधारिणौ । सन्ध्यागताविवार्केन्दू समेष्येते रथोत्तमौ ॥

vāsudevaṃ ca pārthaṃ ca cakragāṇḍīvadhāriṇau | sandhyāgatāvivārkendū sameṣyete rathottamau

Vasudeva and Partha, bearers of the discus and the Gandiva, those two best of chariot-warriors, like the sun and moon at twilight, I shall meet for your sake.

Note on the text: Corrected सभेष्येते → समेष्येते (misprint in Wikisource; भ for म, समेष्ये ते "I shall meet for you", critical edition sameṣye).

Verse 13 (5.172.13)

ये चैव ते रथोदाराः पाण्डुपुत्रस्य सैनिकाः । सह सैन्यानहं तांश्च प्रतीयां रणमूर्धनि ॥

ye caiva te rathodārāḥ pāṇḍuputrasya sainikāḥ | saha sainyānahaṃ tāṃśca pratīyāṃ raṇamūrdhani

And those noble chariot-warriors, the soldiers of Pandu's son, I shall meet at the forefront of battle, together with their troops.

Note on the text: Corrected यं → ये (misprint in Wikisource; the relative must be plural with ते रथोदाराः, critical edition ye caiva te).

Verse 14 (5.172.14)

एते रथाश्चातिरथाश्च तुभ्यं । यथाप्रधानं नृप कीर्तिता मया । तथा परे येऽर्धरथाश्च केचि- । त्तथैव तेषामपि कौरवेन्द्र ॥

ete rathāścātirathāśca tubhyaṃ | yathāpradhānaṃ nṛpa kīrtitā mayā | tathā pare ye'rdharathāśca keci- | ttathaiva teṣāmapi kauravendra

These rathas and atirathas I have named for you, O king, in order of their eminence, and likewise those others who are ardharathas among them, O lord of the Kurus.

Note on the text: Corrected तथैंव → तथैव (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara, critical edition tathaiva). The page labels lines 3–4 of this row 5-171-14c/d, a slip for 172; they belong to this verse and are kept.

Verse 15 (5.172.15)

अर्जुनं वासुदेवं च ये चान्ये तत्र पार्थिवाः । सर्वांस्तान्वारयिष्यामि यावद्द्रक्ष्यामि भारत ॥

arjunaṃ vāsudevaṃ ca ye cānye tatra pārthivāḥ | sarvāṃstānvārayiṣyāmi yāvaddrakṣyāmi bhārata

Arjuna, Vasudeva and the other kings there — all of them I shall hold back, as long as I see them, O Bharata.

Verse 16 (5.172.16)

पाञ्चाल्यं तु महाबाहो नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम् । उद्यतेषुमथो दृष्ट्वा प्रतियुध्यन्तमाहवे ॥

pāñcālyaṃ tu mahābāho nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam | udyateṣumatho dṛṣṭvā pratiyudhyantamāhave

But Shikhandin of Panchala, mighty-armed one, I will not kill, even when I see him with arrow raised, fighting against me in battle.

Note on the text: Corrected उद्यतेषमथो → उद्यतेषुमथो (misprint in Wikisource; dropped u-sign in उद्यतेषुम्, "with arrow raised", critical edition udyateṣum; cf. 5.173.1 उद्यतेषुमथो दृष्ट्वा).

Verse 17 (5.172.17)

लोकस्तद्वेद यदहं पितुः प्रियचिकीर्षया । प्राप्तं राज्यं परित्यज्य ब्रह्मचर्यव्रते स्थितः ॥

lokastadveda yadahaṃ pituḥ priyacikīrṣayā | prāptaṃ rājyaṃ parityajya brahmacaryavrate sthitaḥ

The world knows that, to do my father a kindness, I gave up the kingdom that had come to me and held to the vow of celibacy.

Note on the text: Corrected लोकस्तं वेद → लोकस्तद्वेद (misprint in Wikisource; the object of वेद is the following यत्-clause and must be neuter तद्, critical edition lokas tad veda).

Verse 18 (5.172.18)

चित्राङ्गदं कौरवाणामाधिपत्येऽभ्यषेचयम् । विचित्रवीर्यं च शिशुं यौवराज्येऽभ्यषेचयम् ॥

citrāṅgadaṃ kauravāṇāmādhipatye'bhyaṣecayam | vicitravīryaṃ ca śiśuṃ yauvarājye'bhyaṣecayam

I installed Chitrangada as sovereign of the Kurus, and anointed the child Vichitravirya as heir-apparent.

Verse 19 (5.172.19)

देवव्रतत्वं विज्ञाप्य पृथिवीं सर्वराजसु । नैव हन्यां स्त्रियं जातु न स्त्रीपूर्वं कदाचन ॥

devavratatvaṃ vijñāpya pṛthivīṃ sarvarājasu | naiva hanyāṃ striyaṃ jātu na strīpūrvaṃ kadācana

Having made my vow as Devavrata known throughout the world among all kings, I would never kill a woman, nor one who was once a woman, in any circumstances.

Verse 20 (5.172.20)

स हि स्त्रीपूर्वको राजञ्शिखण्डी यदि ते श्रुतः । कन्या भूत्वा पुमाञ्जातो न योत्स्ये तेन भारत ॥

sa hi strīpūrvako rājañśikhaṇḍī yadi te śrutaḥ | kanyā bhūtvā pumāñjāto na yotsye tena bhārata

For Shikhandin, O king, was once a woman, as you may have heard; born a girl, he became a man. I will not fight him, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected पुमाञ्चातो → पुमाञ्जातो (misprint in Wikisource; ञ्च for ञ्ज, पुमान् जातः "became a man", critical edition pumāñ jāto).

Verse 21 (5.172.21)

सर्वांस्त्वन्यान्हनिष्यामि पार्थिवान्भरतर्षभ । यान्समेष्यामि समरे न तु कुन्तीसुतान्नृप ॥

sarvāṃstvanyānhaniṣyāmi pārthivānbharatarṣabha | yānsameṣyāmi samare na tu kuntīsutānnṛpa

All the other kings I shall kill, O bull of the Bharatas, whomever I meet in battle — but not the sons of Kunti, O king.