The Sanskrit Epics, page 467
“Bhishma said,— ‘If, indeed, thou art unable to cast off this fierce animosity, I permit thee, O Karna! Fight, moved by the desire of heaven! Without anger and without vindictiveness, serve thou the king according to thy power and according to thy courage and observant of the conduct of the righteous! Have then my permission, O Karna! Obtain thou that which thou seekest! Through Dhananjaya thou wilt obtain all those regions (hereafter) which are capable of being had by fulfilling the duties of a Kshatriya! Freed from pride, and relying on thy (own) might and energy, engage in battle, since a Kshatriya cannot have a (source of) greater happiness than a righteous battle. For a long while I made great efforts for bringing about peace! But I succeeded not, O Karna, in the task! Truly do I say this unto thee!—’”
Sanjaya continued,— “After the son of Ganga had said this, Radha’s son (Karna) having saluted Bhishma and obtained his forgiveness, got up on his car and proceeded towards (the quarters of) thy son.”
The End of Bhishma Parva
ENDNOTES.
1 Tapas-kshetra because Kuru, the common ancestor of the rival houses, performed his ascetic austerities there. Since Kuru’s time, many ascetics took up their abode there.
2 Some texts have Duddharsham for Durddharshas.
3 Literally, “gives heat”.
4 ‘Varna’ is used here in the sense of races and not castes.
5 This sloka is variously read. For bhauman in the first line some texts read bhimam which I have adopted. For sahasa in the second line some texts have rajasa, and then aditye (locative) for ‘adityas’.
6 The Bombay text is evidently faulty here; it repeats the second half of the 7th sloka, making the second half of the 25th the first half of the 24th.
7 i.e., stragglers should not be slain.
8 Literally, “confiding.”
9 The Bombay text has Castropanayishu; the Bengal texts have Castropojibishu.
10 Rather, “have their periods run out.”
11 The Bombay text reads pralahshaye for prajashaye. I have adopted the former.
12 Both the Bengal and the Bombay editions have Kukkuran for Kukkutan as the Burdwan Pundits correct it. A bitch producing dogs and bitches would be no anomaly.
13 Unlike the Bengal editions, the Bombay edition correctly includes this sloka, or rather half sloka, within the 17th, making the 17th a triplet instead of a couplet. For the well-known word Dhishthitas however, the Bombay text has Vishthitas.
14 The Bombay text reads Paricchanna for Paricchinna. The former is better.
15 Vaisase is explained by Nilakantha as Virodhe. Conttavarta — a river having bloody eddies.
16 Conitam cchardayanniva. I have adopted Nilakantha’s explanation. The Burdwan Pundits take it as referring to “weapons” instead of “hearers.” The passage, however, may mean that the bird screams so frightfully as if it vomits blood. The only thing that militates against this interpretation is that cchardayan is a causal verb. In the Mahabharata, however, causal forms are frequently used without causal meaning.
17 This sloka is omitted in many editions, though it is certainly genuine. I have rendered it very freely, as otherwise it would be unintelligible. The fact is, three lunations twice meeting together in course of the same lunar fortnight is very rare. The lunar-fortnight (Paksha) being then reduced by two days, the day of full-moon or that of new moon, instead of being (as usual) the fifteenth day from the first lunation becomes the thirteenth day. Lunar-eclipses always occur on days of the full-moon, while solar-eclipses on those of the new moon. Such eclipses, therefore, occurring on days removed from the days of the first lunation by thirteen instead of (as usual) fifteen days, are very extraordinary occurrences.
18 Vishamam is battle or war, and akranda is weeping or productive of grief. The latter word may also mean a fierce battle. If understood in this sense, Vishamam may be taken as indicating hostility, or absence of peace.
19 Nilakantha explains this in a long note the substance of which is appended below. Kings are divided into three classes, viz., owners of elephants (Gajapati), owners of horses (Aswapati), and owners of men (Narapati). If an evil-omened planet (papa-graha) sheds its influence upon any of the nine constellations beginning with Aswini, it forebodes danger to Aswapatis; if on any of the nine beginning with Magha, it forebodes danger to Gajapatis; and if on any of the nine beginning with Mula, it forebodes danger to Narapatis. What Vyasa says here, therefore, is that one or another papa-graha has shed its influence upon one another of each of the three classes of constellations, thus foreboding danger to all classes of kings.
20 Vide note ante.
21 Aparvani, i.e., not on Parva days or days of full-moon and new-moon as ordinarily coming. The Bombay edition, after aparvani, reads grahenau tau. A better reading unquestionably grastavetau, as many Bengal texts have.
22 Pratisrotas; strict grammar would require pratisrotasas; the meaning is that those that flowed east to west now flow west to east, &c. For kurddanti some texts have narddanti which is certainly better. Kurddanti means play or sport; wells playing like bulls would be unmeaning, unless the sport is accompanied by bellowing.
23 The Burdwan Pundits reads suskasani for sakrasani. The latter, however, is the true reading.
24 The original is very obscure. Uluka is explained by Nilakantha as a brand (used for want of lambs). The line, however, is elliptical. The Burdwan Pundits introduce an entirely new line.
25 Mahabhuta is swelling greatly.
26 Parena is explained by Nilakantha as atisayena.
27 Some of the Bengal texts read anugraham (making the initial a silent after maharshe, in the vocative case). There can be no doubt however, that this is incorrect. The true reading is nadharmam which I have adopted. The Bombay text reads na cha dharmam. The introduction of the article cha needlessly makes the line incorrect as to metre.
28 The second line of the 67th sloka is very obscure. I have followed Nilakantha in translating it thus. The sense seems to be, that when crows hover behind an army, that is an auspicious sign; while it is an inauspicious sign if they are seen ahead. I am not sure that Nilakantha is right in taking the pronoun ye as referring to even crows.
29 Such as “don’t fight, for you will be dead men soon.” &c.
30 Nilakantha explains these five species thus: trees such as the peepul; gulma (shrub), as kusa, kasa, &c., growing from a clump underneath; creepers, such as all plants growing upon the soil but requiring some support to twine round; Valli, those that creep on the earth and live for a year only, such, as the gourd, the pumpkin, etc., and lastly, Trina, such as grass and all plants that are stemless, having only their barks and leaves.
31 When Gayatri, or Brahma or the Universe, is mentioned, these twenty-four are indicated, five of which exist independently, the remaining nineteen being the result of five in those various proportions.
32 I have rendered 4 and 5 a little too freely. The language of the original is very terse.
33 Samyam is homogeneity. The allusion is to the state of the universe before creation, when there exists nothing but a homogeneous mass or Brahma alone. The first compound of the 2nd line is read differently. The Burdwan Pandits and the Bombay edition read anyonyam (in the accusative); many of the Bengal texts read anyonyena (in the instrumental). The meaning is scarcely affected by this difference of reading.
34 The order of destruction is that earth merges into water, water into fire, fire into air, and air into space. And so the order of birth is that from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water, and from water arises earth.
35 Nilakantha explains the last six slokas as having an esoteric meaning. By Sudarsana he understands the mind. The rest is explained consistently. Interpretations, however, are not rare among commentators seeking to put sense in non-sense.
36 The Bombay text reads Varsha parvatas for parvatas samas.
37 For Pinaddha occurring in the Bengal texts, the Bombay edition reads Vichitra.
38 The Bengal texts add a line here which is properly omitted in the Bombay edition.
39 After the 10th occurs a line in the Bengal text which is evidently vicious.
40 Day of the full-moon and that of the new-moon.
41 The Bengal texts, except the Burdwan one, have divi for Daityas, of course, the latter reading is correct.
42 The Bombay text has Sarvatas (which is better) for Sarvata in the Bengal texts.
43 in the first line of 28, the Bengal texts read Sirasas (ablative) for Sikhhrat of the Bombay edition. In the last line of 29 also, the Bombay text has plavantiva-pravegena for the Bengal reading patatyajapravegena. No material difference of meaning arises if one or the other is accepted.
44 Alluding to the tradition of Siva’s holding Ganga on his head and for which the great god is sometimes called Gangadhara.
45 This word occurs in various forms, Ketumala and Ketumali being two others.
46 The Bombay edition reads tu for cha after Jamvukhanda. The meaning becomes changed.
47 The sacred stream Ganga is believed to have three currents. In heaven the current is called Mandakini; on earth, it is called Ganga; and in the subterraneous world it is called Bhogavati.
48 The Bengal texts, excepting the Burdwan one, incorrectly read Sakram for Satram.
49 The correct reading is Gatimanti. Many of the Bengal texts incorrectly read matimanti, which is unmeaning.
50 Many of the Bengal texts incorrectly read Merorapyyantaram for Merorathottaram.
51 This sloka beginning with mani and ending with prabham is omitted in the Bombay text, I don’t think rightly. If anything that seems to be a repetition is to be omitted.
52 i.e. “have fallen away from a celestial state.”
53 In sloka 13, the Bengal texts read Bhayanakas for mahavalas. In 15 Mudhabhishekas for Purvabhishekas is substituted in the Bombay text. In 1 again the Bombay text reads Subhas for drumas.
54 The Bengal texts have Chandrabhasa for Chandraprabha. The difference is not material.
55 Both the Burdwan and the Bombay editions read Panchashat (five and six). The Bengal texts generally have panchasat (fifty).
56 The Bombay edition reads Tasmat-sritigamatas param. The Bengal texts read Yasmat-sringamatas param. The Bengal reading is better. The Asiatic Society’s edition contains a misprint. The meaning is, “Because Sringa (jewelled mountain of that name), therefore superior.” I have rendered it somewhat freely.
57 They are but portions of the same Supreme Being.
58 i.e. mountains forming boundaries of divisions.
59 The Bombay text reads Ikshula and Krimi for “Ikshumlavi” occurring in Bengal texts.
60 The Bengal texts have Gandakincha mahanadim. The Bombay text reads Vandanancha mahanadim with a cha immediately before. The Burdwan Pandits read Chandanancha mahanadim.
61 The Bombay texts read Tridiva for Nischita; this is incorrect, for Tridiva occurs in the Bombay text itself a little before. The name Lohatarini occurs in various forms.
62 For Vetravati, the Bengal texts read Chandrabhaga. Both Chandrabhaga and Vetravati, however occur before.
63 Kamadhuk is that species of kine which always yield milk.
64 Nilakantha explains this in this way. The gods depend on sacrifices performed by human beings; and as regards human beings, their food is supplied by the Earth. Superior and inferior creatures, therefore, are all supported by the earth; the Earth then is their refuge. The word Earth in these slokas is sometimes used to signify the world and sometimes the element of that name.
65 I render the last line a little too freely. If the saying is intended to be general, the translation should run thus: “Up to this day there is no man whose desires can be satiated.”
66 The Bombay text reads Kimanyat Kathayami te. The Bengal reading is Kimanyat srotumicchasi.
67 The Bombay text reads Tatas parena; the Bengal reading is Tatas purvena. I adopt the former.
68 Probably this mythical account of Sakadwipa embodies some vague tradition current in ancient India of some republic in Eastern Asia or Oceanic Asia (further east in the Pacific). Accustomed as the Hindus were to kingly form of government, a government without a king, would strike them exactly in the way described in the last two slokas.
69 The second line of the 3rd sloka is read variously. The Bombay edition incorrectly reads ‘Parvataccha’ etc. etc.; the Bengal reading is evameva etc. etc. The Bengal reading is better, although the true reading, I apprehend, is Evametais &c., &c.
70 Vamanaka and Vamana are the same words the final ka being a suffix causing no difference of meaning. So Andhakaraka and Andhakara are the same.
71 Dig-gaja, i.e. an elephant supporting the globe. There are four such in Hindu mythology or ten according to some accounts.
72 i.e., with the juice trickling down from their cheeks and mouth. In the season of rut, a peculiar kind of juice issues from several parts of an elephant’s body. It is believed to be the temporal-juice. The stronger and fierce the elephant, the greater the quantity of the juice that issues out its body.
73 Tasya (singular of Tad) and sa (masculine singular of Tad) both refer to the four elephants, Gaja-chatushtaya in singular.
74 Asamyadha lit. “Unbound” or “unrestrained,” i.e. freely or irregularly.
75 It is a remarkable fact that the ratio between the diameter and the circumference of a circle was roughly known to the ancient Hindus. The circumference is nearly, as stated here, three times and a half of the diameter. The next ratio, of course, is slightly less, being three and one-seventh.
76 The first word of this sloka is variously read. ‘Yathadishtam’ is the Bengal reading, while the Bombay reading ‘Yathoddishtam.’ If the latter reading were adopted, the meaning would be as indicated (in the Sastras). The second line literally rendered, is “pacify thy son Duryodhana.” But how Dhritarashtra is to pacify his son having listened to the geographical digression, is not easy to see.
77 For Sadhusattamas of the Bengal texts, the Bombay edition reads Sadhusammatas. I adopt the last.
78 The last word in the first line of the 11th sloka, in the Bengal texts, is ‘Pravriha.’ In the Bombay edition it is ‘Anikaha.’ The difference in meaning is immaterial.
79 The first half of the first line, in the Bengal texts, is read as ‘Kathamascha me putra’, the Bombay text reads ‘Kathamascha me Yoddha’. If the latter reading be adopted, the meaning would be— “Tell me how my warriors were,” etc. etc.
80 In the second line of sloka 3, for ‘kim na asinmanastada’ (what was the state of mind of our men) the Bombay text reads ‘Kimu asinmanastava’ (what was the state of your mind)?
81 The Plural pronouns ‘ye’ in the second line of the 8th sloka (changed into ‘ya’ by rule of Sandhi because coming before tenam) is read ‘ke’ (or ‘ka’) by the Burdwan Pundits. I think the correction a happy one. Nilakantha would take 7 and 8 and the first half of 9 as a complete sentence reading ‘Asya twama antike’ (thou wert near him) for ‘Asyaram antike’ (smiting or shooting arrows near).
82 Some of the Bengal texts have Panchalanam for Pandavanam.
83 The form of the 2nd line is a negative interrogative, implying,— ‘I hope the Kurus did not abandon him.’
84 This comparison, lengthy as it is, is not sustained throughout with the usual felicity of Vyasa. In several parts it is undoubtedly faulty. Slight variation of reading also occur here and there, without affecting the sense materially.
85 Gachchhato durgam gatim. The Bombay edition reads Gachchhanto etc., etc. The meaning then would be— “who protected the wings, themselves making the last painful journey?”
86 The Burdwan Pundits make Mahavalas an adjective of Putras. A better construction would be to take it as referring to Bhishma.
87 Ghatayitwa is, literally, causing to be slain.
88 The words “high-souled” and also “through whose boon bestowed of me” occur in the 9th sloka following.
89 Vyotthiopatti vijananam, Vyutthita is a very doubtful word.
90 Literally, “in Indra’s abodes,” i.e. Amaravati.
91 A Kshatriya falling bravely in fight at once goes to the highest regions of bliss.
92 Nilakantha in a long note explains that Magha Vishayagas Somas cannot mean that Soma or the Moon entered the constellation called Magha. He quotes numerous slokas scattered throughout the Mahabharata that throw light, directly or indirectly, on the question of the opening day of the battle, and shows that all these lead to a different conclusion. What is meant by the Moon approaching the region of the Pitris is that those who fall in battle immediately ascend to heaven; of course, they have first to go to the region of Pitris. Thence they have to go to the lunar region for obtaining celestial bodies. All this implies a little delay. Here, however, in the case of those that would fall on the field of Kurukshetra, they would not have to incur even such a little delay. Chandramas or Soma approached the region of Pitris so that the fallen warriors might have celestial bodies very soon, without, in fact, any necessity, on their part, to incur the delay of a journey to the lunar region prior to their ascension to heaven with resplendent bodies.
93 There are nine planets in all the Pauranic astronomy. Of these Rahu and Ketu are regarded Upagrahas, and hence, of grahas there are only seven. Thus Nilakantha, and the Burdwan pundits have made a mess of this line.
