Bhishma Upheld by the Eight Brahmins

Verse 1 (5.182.1)

ततः प्रभाते राजेन्द्र सूर्ये विमलतां गते । भार्गवस्य मया सार्धं पुनर्युद्धमवर्तत ॥

tataḥ prabhāte rājendra sūrye vimalatāṃ gate | bhārgavasya mayā sārdhaṃ punaryuddhamavartata

Then, O king of kings, at dawn, when the sun shone clear, the battle between Bhargava and me began again.

Verse 2 (5.182.2)

ततोऽभ्रान्ते रथे तिष्ठन्रामः प्रहरतां वरः । ववर्ष शरजालानि मयि मेघ इवाचले ॥

tato'bhrānte rathe tiṣṭhanrāmaḥ praharatāṃ varaḥ | vavarṣa śarajālāni mayi megha ivācale

Then Rama, best of fighters, standing on his chariot near the clouds, rained nets of arrows on me as a cloud rains on a mountain.

Note on the text: Corrected मेध → मेघ (misprint in Wikisource; "like a cloud on a mountain" — the page's own gloss explains अभ्रान्ते as मेघमण्डलसमीपे).

Verse 3 (5.182.3)

ततः सूतो मम सुहृच्छरवर्षेण ताडितः । अपयातो रथोपस्थान्मनो मम विषादयन् ॥

tataḥ sūto mama suhṛccharavarṣeṇa tāḍitaḥ | apayāto rathopasthānmano mama viṣādayan

Then my friend the charioteer, struck by the shower of arrows, slipped from his seat on the chariot, filling my mind with dismay.

Verse 4 (5.182.4)

ततः सूतो ममात्यर्थं कश्मलं प्राविशन्महत् । पृथिव्यां च शराघातान्निपपात मुमोह च ॥

tataḥ sūto mamātyarthaṃ kaśmalaṃ prāviśanmahat | pṛthivyāṃ ca śarāghātānnipapāta mumoha ca

My charioteer sank into a deep swoon, and from the blow of the arrows he fell to the ground and lost his senses.

Verse 5 (5.182.5)

ततः सूतोऽजहात्प्राणान्रामबाणप्रपीडितः । मुहूर्तादिव राजेन्द्र मां च भीराविशत्तदा ॥

tataḥ sūto'jahātprāṇānrāmabāṇaprapīḍitaḥ | muhūrtādiva rājendra māṃ ca bhīrāviśattadā

Then, tormented by Rama's arrows, the charioteer gave up his life within a moment, O king of kings, and fear entered me.

Note on the text: Corrected सूतो जहात् → सूतोऽजहात् (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha of the imperfect ajahāt, as in the critical edition).

Verse 6 (5.182.6)

ततः सूते हते तस्मिन्क्षिपतस्तस्य मे शरान् । प्रमत्तमनसो रामः प्राहिणोन्मृत्युसंमितम् ॥

tataḥ sūte hate tasminkṣipatastasya me śarān | pramattamanaso rāmaḥ prāhiṇonmṛtyusaṃmitam

Then, when my charioteer was dead and I was shooting arrows with my mind distracted, Rama sent at me an arrow like Death.

Verse 7 (5.182.7)

ततः सूतव्यसनिनं विप्लुतं मां स भार्गवः । शरेणाभ्यहनद्गाढं विकृष्य बलवद्धनुः ॥

tataḥ sūtavyasaninaṃ viplutaṃ māṃ sa bhārgavaḥ | śareṇābhyahanadgāḍhaṃ vikṛṣya balavaddhanuḥ

As I reeled, stricken by my charioteer's fall, Bhargava drew his mighty bow and struck me hard with an arrow.

Verse 8 (5.182.8)

स मे भुजान्तरे राजन्निपत्य रुधिराशनः । मयैव सह राजेन्द्र जगाम वसुधातलम् ॥

sa me bhujāntare rājannipatya rudhirāśanaḥ | mayaiva saha rājendra jagāma vasudhātalam

That blood-drinking arrow, O king, lodged in my chest between my arms and fell with me to the ground, O king of kings.

Verse 9 (5.182.9)

मत्वा तु निहतं रामस्ततो मां भरतर्षभ । मेघवद्विननादोच्चैर्जहृषे च पुनः पुनः ॥

matvā tu nihataṃ rāmastato māṃ bharatarṣabha | meghavadvinanādoccairjahṛṣe ca punaḥ punaḥ

Then Rama, thinking me slain, O bull among the Bharatas, roared aloud like a cloud and rejoiced again and again.

Verse 10 (5.182.10)

तथा तु पतिते राजन्मयि रामो मुदा युतः । उदक्रोशन्महानादं सह तैरनुयायिभिः ॥

tathā tu patite rājanmayi rāmo mudā yutaḥ | udakrośanmahānādaṃ saha tairanuyāyibhiḥ

When I had fallen in this way, O king, Rama, full of joy, raised a great shout together with his followers.

Verse 11 (5.182.11)

मम तत्राभवन्ये तु कुरवः पार्श्वतः स्थिताः । आगता अपि युद्धं तञ्जनास्तत्र दिदृक्षवः । आर्तिं परमिकां जग्मुस्ते तदा पतिते मयि ॥

mama tatrābhavanye tu kuravaḥ pārśvataḥ sthitāḥ | āgatā api yuddhaṃ tañjanāstatra didṛkṣavaḥ | ārtiṃ paramikāṃ jagmuste tadā patite mayi

But the Kurus who were with me, standing at my side, and the people who had come to watch the battle, fell into the deepest distress when I fell.

Verse 12 (5.182.12)

ततोऽपश्यं पतितो राजसिंह । द्विजानष्टौ सूर्यहुताशनाभान् । ते मां समन्तात्परिवार्य तस्थुः । स्वबाहुभिः परिधार्याजिमध्ये ॥

tato'paśyaṃ patito rājasiṃha | dvijānaṣṭau sūryahutāśanābhān | te māṃ samantātparivārya tasthuḥ | svabāhubhiḥ paridhāryājimadhye

Then, as I lay fallen, O lion among kings, I saw eight brahmins shining like the sun and fire. They stood all around me and held me up in their arms in the middle of the battlefield.

Note on the text: Corrected परिर्वाय → परिवार्य (misprint in Wikisource; misplaced repha — critical edition parivārya).

Verse 13 (5.182.13)

रक्ष्यमाणश्च तैर्विप्रैर्नाहं भूमिमुपास्पृशम् । अन्तरिक्षे धृतो ह्यस्मि तैर्विप्रैर्बान्धवैरिव ॥

rakṣyamāṇaśca tairviprairnāhaṃ bhūmimupāspṛśam | antarikṣe dhṛto hyasmi tairviprairbāndhavairiva

Protected by those brahmins, I did not touch the ground; I was held up in the air by them as if by my own kin.

Note on the text: Wikisource divides critical edition 5.183.13–15 (13 has three lines) into its verses 13–15: this verse = 5.183.13ab–cd (variant धृतो for sthito).

Verse 14 (5.182.14)

श्वसन्निवान्तरिक्षे च जलबिन्दुभिरुक्षितः । ततस्ते ब्राह्मणा राजन्नब्रुवन्परिगृह्य माम् ॥

śvasannivāntarikṣe ca jalabindubhirukṣitaḥ | tataste brāhmaṇā rājannabruvanparigṛhya mām

I seemed to breathe in mid-air, and they sprinkled me with drops of water. Then those brahmins, holding me, said, O king,

Note on the text: This verse = critical edition 5.183.13ef (variant श्वसन् for svapann) + 5.183.14ab.

Verse 15 (5.182.15)

मा भैरिति समं सर्वे स्वस्ति तेऽस्त्विति चासकृत् । ततस्तेषामहं वाग्भिस्तर्पितः सहसोत्थितः । मातरं सरितां श्रेष्ठामपश्यं रथमास्थिताम् ॥

mā bhairiti samaṃ sarve svasti te'stviti cāsakṛt | tatasteṣāmahaṃ vāgbhistarpitaḥ sahasotthitaḥ | mātaraṃ saritāṃ śreṣṭhāmapaśyaṃ rathamāsthitām

all together and again and again, "Do not fear! May all be well with you!" Refreshed by their words, I rose at once and saw my mother, the best of rivers, standing on my chariot.

Note on the text: This verse (three lines) = critical edition 5.183.14cd + 5.183.15ab–cd.

Verse 16 (5.182.16)

हयाश्च मे संगृहीतास्तयाऽऽस- । न्महानद्या संयति कौरवेन्द्र । पादौ जनन्याः प्रतिगृह्य चाहं । तथा पितॄणां रथमभ्यरोहम् ॥

hayāśca me saṃgṛhītāstayā''sa- | nmahānadyā saṃyati kauravendra | pādau jananyāḥ pratigṛhya cāhaṃ | tathā pitṝṇāṃ rathamabhyaroham

The great river had held my horses in the battle, O lord of the Kurus; and having clasped my mother's feet, and likewise honoured the ancestors, I mounted the chariot.

Verse 17 (5.182.17)

ररक्ष सा मां सरथं हयांश्चोपस्काराणि च । तामहं प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा पुनरेव व्यसर्जयम् ॥

rarakṣa sā māṃ sarathaṃ hayāṃścopaskārāṇi ca | tāmahaṃ prāñjalirbhūtvā punareva vyasarjayam

She guarded me, my chariot, my horses and all my equipment; then, with folded hands, I took leave of her again.

Verse 18 (5.182.18)

ततोऽहं स्वयमुद्यम्य हयांस्तान्वातरंहसः । अयुध्यं जामदग्न्येन निवृत्तेऽहनि भारत ॥

tato'haṃ svayamudyamya hayāṃstānvātaraṃhasaḥ | ayudhyaṃ jāmadagnyena nivṛtte'hani bhārata

Then I took those wind-swift horses in hand myself and fought with Jamadagni's son, O Bharata, as the day was ending.

Verse 19 (5.182.19)

ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ वेगवन्तं महाबलम् । अमुञ्चं समरे बाणं रामाय हृदयच्छिदम् ॥

tato'haṃ bharataśreṣṭha vegavantaṃ mahābalam | amuñcaṃ samare bāṇaṃ rāmāya hṛdayacchidam

Then, O best of the Bharatas, I loosed at Rama in the battle a swift and mighty arrow that pierces the heart.

Verse 20 (5.182.20)

ततो जगाम वसुधां मम बाणप्रपीडितः । जानुभ्यां धनुरुत्सृज्य रामो मोहवशं गतः ॥

tato jagāma vasudhāṃ mama bāṇaprapīḍitaḥ | jānubhyāṃ dhanurutsṛjya rāmo mohavaśaṃ gataḥ

Racked by my arrow, Rama dropped his bow and sank to the ground on his knees, overcome by faintness.

Verse 21 (5.182.21)

ततस्तस्मिन्निपतिते रामे भूरिसहस्रदे । आवव्रुर्जलदा व्योम क्षरन्तो रुधिरं बहु ॥

tatastasminnipatite rāme bhūrisahasrade | āvavrurjaladā vyoma kṣaranto rudhiraṃ bahu

When Rama, the giver of thousands upon thousands, had fallen, clouds covered the sky and poured down floods of blood.

Verse 22 (5.182.22)

उल्काश्च शतशः पेतुः सनिर्घाताः सकम्पनाः । अर्कं च सहसा दीप्तं स्वर्भानुरभिसंवृणोत् ॥

ulkāśca śataśaḥ petuḥ sanirghātāḥ sakampanāḥ | arkaṃ ca sahasā dīptaṃ svarbhānurabhisaṃvṛṇot

Meteors fell by hundreds, with thunderclaps and lightning, and Svarbhanu suddenly covered the blazing sun.

Verse 23 (5.182.23)

ववुश्च वाताः परुषाश्चलिता च वसुंधरा । गृध्रा बलाश्च कङ्काश्च परिपेतुर्मुदा युताः ॥

vavuśca vātāḥ paruṣāścalitā ca vasuṃdharā | gṛdhrā balāśca kaṅkāśca paripeturmudā yutāḥ

Harsh winds blew and the earth shook; vultures, cranes and herons wheeled about in glee.

Note on the text: Corrected गुदा → मुदा (misprint in Wikisource; "in glee", critical edition mudā yutāḥ).

Verse 24 (5.182.24)

दीप्तायां दिशि गोमायुर्दारुणं मुहुरुन्नदत् । अनाहता दुन्दुभयो विनेदुर्भृशनिःस्वनाः ॥

dīptāyāṃ diśi gomāyurdāruṇaṃ muhurunnadat | anāhatā dundubhayo vinedurbhṛśaniḥsvanāḥ

In the blazing quarter a jackal howled fiercely again and again, and kettledrums that no one had struck sounded loudly.

Verse 25 (5.182.25)

एतदौत्पातिकं सर्वं घोरमासीद्भयंकरम् । विसंज्ञकल्पे धरणीं गते रामे महात्मनि ॥

etadautpātikaṃ sarvaṃ ghoramāsīdbhayaṃkaram | visaṃjñakalpe dharaṇīṃ gate rāme mahātmani

All these dreadful, terrifying portents appeared when the great-souled Rama lay on the ground, almost senseless.

Verse 26 (5.182.26)

ततो वै सहसोत्थाय रामो मामभ्यवर्तत । पुनर्युद्धाय कौरव्य विह्वलः क्रोधमूर्छितः ॥

tato vai sahasotthāya rāmo māmabhyavartata | punaryuddhāya kauravya vihvalaḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ

Then Rama suddenly rose and came at me again to fight, O Kauravya, shaken and beside himself with anger,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition text; this verse and the next two correspond to its apparatus passage 5.183.25d*0582 — this verse = lines 1–2 of that star passage.

Verse 27 (5.182.27)

आददानो महाबाहुः कार्मुकं तालसन्निभम् । ततो मय्याददानं तं राममेव न्यवारयन् ॥

ādadāno mahābāhuḥ kārmukaṃ tālasannibham | tato mayyādadānaṃ taṃ rāmameva nyavārayan

the mighty-armed one taking up a bow as tall as a palm tree. But as he was taking aim at me, Rama himself was held back

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition text; first line = star passage 5.183.25d*0582 line 3 (variant तालसन्निभम्); the second line (ततो मय्याददानं तं राममेव न्यवारयन्) differs from the star passage's line 4 (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 28 (5.182.28)

महर्षयः कृपायुक्ताः क्रोधाविष्टोऽपि भार्गवः । समाहरदमेयात्मा शरं कालानलोपमम् ॥

maharṣayaḥ kṛpāyuktāḥ krodhāviṣṭo'pi bhārgavaḥ | samāharadameyātmā śaraṃ kālānalopamam

by the great sages, moved by compassion; and Bhargava, of boundless spirit, angry though he was, withdrew his arrow, which was like the fire of Time.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition text; corresponds to star passage 5.183.25d*0582 lines 5–6 (Wikisource महर्षयः कृपायुक्ताः for maharṣimatam āsthāya, कालानलोपमम् for kālāntakopamam).

Verse 29 (5.182.29)

ततो रविर्मन्दमरीचिमण्डलो । जगामास्तं पांसुपुञ्जावगूढः । निशा व्यगाहत्सुखशीतमारुता । ततो युद्धं प्रत्यवहारयावः ॥

tato ravirmandamarīcimaṇḍalo | jagāmāstaṃ pāṃsupuñjāvagūḍhaḥ | niśā vyagāhatsukhaśītamārutā | tato yuddhaṃ pratyavahārayāvaḥ

Then the sun, its circle of rays grown dim, went to its setting, shrouded in clouds of dust; night came on with cool and pleasant breezes, and we broke off the fight.

Note on the text: Corrected सतो → ततो (misprint in Wikisource; critical edition tato) and restored the lost final visarga, प्रत्यवहारयाव- → प्रत्यवहारयावः (Wikisource prints the word cut off with a hyphen; critical edition pratyavahārayāvaḥ).

Verse 30 (5.182.30)

एवं राजन्नवहारो बभूव । ततः पुनर्विमलेऽभूत्सुघोरम् । कल्यंकल्यं विंशतिं वै दिनानि । तथैव चान्यानि दिनानि त्रीणि ॥

evaṃ rājannavahāro babhūva | tataḥ punarvimale'bhūtsughoram | kalyaṃkalyaṃ viṃśatiṃ vai dināni | tathaiva cānyāni dināni trīṇi

So, O king, there was a halt; and each morning, when the day dawned clear, the dreadful fighting began again, for twenty days, and then for three days more.