Mahabharata, Book 6, Section LXVIIIभीष्मपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 6.68.

68Sanskrit adhyāya 6.68 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

भीष्म उवाच।
स्तवं वै ब्रह्मसंयुक्तं शृणु कृष्णस्य भारत।
ब्रह्मर्षिभिश्च देवैश्च यः पुरा कथितो भुवि ।।
साध्यानामपि देवानां देवदेवेश्वरः प्रभुः ।
लोकभावनभावज्ञ इति त्वां नारदोऽब्रवीत् ।।
भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च मार्कण्डेयोऽभ्युवाच ह।
यज्ञं त्वां चैव यज्ञानां तपश्च तपसामपि ।।
देवानामपि देवं च त्वामाह भगवान्भृगुः ।
पुराणां चैव परमं विष्णो रूपं तवेति च ।।
वासुदेवो वसूनां त्वं शक्रं स्थापयिता तथा।
देवदेवोऽसि देवानामिति द्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत् ।।
पूर्वे प्रजानिसर्गे च दक्षमाहुः प्रजापतिम्।
स्रष्टारं सर्वभूतानामङ्गिरास्त्वां तथाऽब्रवीत् ।।
अव्यक्तं ते शरीरोत्थं व्यक्तं ते मनसि स्थितम् ।
देवास्त्वत्संभवाश्चैव देवलस्त्वसितोऽब्रवीत् ।।
शिरसा ते दिव्यं व्याप्तं बाहुभ्यां पृथिवी तथा ।
जठरं ते त्रयो लोकाः पुरुषोऽसि सनातनः ।।
एवं त्वामभिजानन्ति तपसा भाविता नराः।
आत्मदर्शनतृप्तानामृषीणां चासि सत्तमः ।।
राजर्षीणामुदाराणामाहवेष्वनिवर्तिनाम् ।
सर्वधर्मप्रधानानां त्वं गतिर्मधुसूदन ।।
इति नित्यं योगविर्द्भिर्भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः।
सनत्कुमारप्रमुखैः स्तूयतेऽभ्यर्च्यते हरिः ।।
एष ते विस्तरस्तात संक्षेपश्च प्रकीर्तितः ।
केशवस्य यथा तत्त्वं सुप्रीतो भज केशवम् ।।
सञ्जय उवाच।
पुण्यं श्रुत्वैतदाख्यानं महाराज सुतस्तव।
केशवं बहुमेने स पाण्डवांश्च महारथान् ।।
तमब्रवीन्महाराज भीष्मः शान्तनवः पुनः ।
माहात्म्यं ते श्रुतं राजन्केशवस्य महात्कमनः ।।
नरस्य च यथातत्त्वं यन्मां त्वं पृच्छसे नृप।
यदर्थं नृषु संभूतौ नरानारायणावृषी ।।
अवध्यौ च यथा वीरौ संयुगेष्वपराजितौ ।
यथा च पाण्डवा राजन्नवध्या युधि कस्यचित् ।।
प्रीतिमान्हि दृढं कृष्णः पाण्डवेषु यशस्विषु ।
तस्माद्ब्रवीमि राजेन्द्र शमो भवतु पाण्डवैः ।।
पृथिवीं भुङ्क्ष्व सहितो भ्रातृभिर्बलिभिर्वशी ।
नरानारायणौ देवाववज्ञाय नशिष्यसि ।।
एवमुक्त्वा तव पिता तूष्णीमासीद्विशांपते ।
व्यसर्जयच्च राजानं शयनं च विवेश ह ।।
राजा च शिबिरं प्रायात्प्रणिपत्य महात्मने ।
शिश्ये च शयने शुभ्रे रात्रिं तां भरतर्षभ ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते भीष्मपर्वणि
भीष्मवधपर्वणि अष्टषष्टितमोऽध्यायः ।।
।। विश्वोपाख्यानं समाप्तम् ।।

English Ganguli

“Bhishma said, ‘Hear from me, O king, this hymn that was uttered by Brahman himself. This hymn was in days of old communicated by regenerate Rishis and the gods (to men) on Earth. Narada described thee as the Master and the Lord of the god of gods and all the Sadhyas and the celestials, and as one acquainted with the nature of the Creator of the worlds. Markandeya spoke of thee as the Past, the Present, and the Future, and the sacrifice of sacrifices, and the austerity of austerities. The illustrious Bhrigu said of thee that thou art the God of the gods, that thine is the ancient form of Vishnu. Dwaipayana said of thee that thou art Vasudeva of the Vasus, the establisher of Sakra, and the God of gods and all creatures. In days of old on the occasion of procreating creatures, the sages spoke of thee as Daksha, the Father of creation. Angiras said that thou art the creator of all beings. Devala said of thee that the unmanifest all is thy body, and the manifest is in thy mind, and that the gods are all the result of thy breath.389 With thy heads is pervaded the heavens, and thy two arms support the Earth. In thy stomach are three worlds and thou art the Eternal Being. Even thus do men exalted by asceticism know thee. Thou art the Sat of Sat, with Rishis gratified with sight of Self.390 With royal sages of liberal minds, never retreating from battle and having morality for their highest end, thou, O slayer of Madhu, art the sole refuge. Even thus is that illustrious and Supreme Being, viz., Hari, adored and worshipped by Sanatkumar and other ascetics endued with Yoga. The truth about Kesava, O sire, is now narrated to thee, both in brief and detail. Turn thy heart in love to Kesava.’"

Sanjaya continued, “Hearing this sacred story, thy son, O great king, began to regard highly both Kesava and these mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of Pandu. Then, O monarch, Bhishma the son of Santanu once more addressed thy son, saying, ‘Thou hast now heard truly, O king, about the glory of the high-souled Kesava and of Nara about which thou hadst asked me. Thou hast also heard about the object for which both Nara and Narayana have taken their births among men. Thou hast also been told the reason why those heroes are invincible and have never been vanquished in battle, and why also, O king, the sons of Pandu are incapable of being slain in battle, by anybody. Krishna beareth great love for the illustrious sons of Pandu. It is for this, O king of kings, that I say, “Let peace be made with the Pandavas.” Restraining thy passions enjoy thou the Earth with thy mighty brothers (around thee). By disregarding the divine Nara and Narayana, thou shalt certainly be destroyed.’ Having said these words, thy sire, became silent, O monarch, and dismissing the king, entered his tent. And the king also came back to his (own) tent, having worshipped the illustrious grandsire. And then, O bull of Bharata’s race, he laid himself down on his white bed for passing the night in sleep."