SECTION CLXXXI
"Bhishma said, 'After he had quartered there, on third day, O king,
Jamadagni's son of high vows, sent a message to me, saying, 'I have come
here, do what is agreeable to me.' Hearing that Rama, of great might, had
come to the confines of our kingdom, I speedily went with a joyous heart
to that master who was an ocean of energy. And I went to him, O king,
with a cow placed in the van of my train, and accompanied by many
Brahmanas, and (ordinary) priests (of our family), and by others,
resembling the very gods in splendour, employed by us on special
occasions. And beholding me arrived at his presence, Jamadagni's son, of
great prowess, accepted the worship I offered unto him and said these
words unto me.'
"Rama said, 'Thyself, divested of desire, with what mood of mind, O
'Bhishma, didst you abduct, on the occasion of her self-choice, his
daughter of the king of Kasi and again dismiss her subsequently? By thee
hath this famous lady been dissociated from virtue! Contaminated by the
touch of your hands before, who can marry her now? Rejected she hath been
by Salwa, because thou, O Bharata, had abducted her. Take her
therefore, to thyself, O Bharata, at my command. Let this daughter of a
king, O tiger among men, be charged with the duties of her sex! O king, O
sinless one, it is not proper that this humiliation should be hers!
'Seeing him plunged into sorrow (on account of the maiden) I said unto
him,--O Brahmana, I cannot, by any means, bestow this girl on my brother.
O you of Bhrigu's race, it was to myself that she said, I am Salwa's!
And it was by me that she was permitted to go to Salwa's city. As regards
myself, even this is my firm vow that I cannot abandon Kshatriya
practices from fear or pity, or avarice of wealth, or lust!--Hearing
these words of mine, Rama addressed me, with eyes rolling in anger,
saying, 'If, O bull among, men, you dost not act according to my words,
I will slay you this very day along with all your counsellors!' Indeed,
with eyes rolling in anger, Rama in great wrath told me these words
repeatedly. I, however, O chastiser of foes, then beseeched him in sweet
words. But though beseeched by me, he did not cool down. Bowing down with
my head unto that best of Brahmanas I then enquired of him the reason for
which he sought battle with me. I also said,--O you of mighty arms,
while I was a child it was you who instructed me in the four kinds of
arms.[18] I am, therefore, O you of Bhrigu's race, your disciple! Then
Rama answered me with eyes red in anger, 'Thou knowest me, O Bhishma, to
be your preceptor, and yet, O Kauravya, you acceptest not, for pleasing
me, this daughter of the ruler of Kasi! O delighter of the Kurus, I
cannot be gratified unless you actest in this way! O mighty-armed one,
take this maiden and preserve your race! Having been abducted by thee, she
obtaineth not a husband. Unto Rama that subjugator of hostile cities, I
replied, saying.--This cannot be, O regenerate Rishi! All your labour is
vain, O son of Jamadagni, remembering your old preceptorship, I am
striving, O holy one, to gratify thee! As regards this maiden, she hath
been refused by me before knowing what the faults, productive of great
evils, of the female sex are, who is there that would admit into his
abode a woman whose heart is another's and who (on that account) is even
like a snake of virulent poison? O you of high vows, I would not, even
from fear of Vasava, forsake duty! Be gracious unto me, or do me without
delay that which you hast thought proper. This sloka also, O you of
pure soul, is heard in the Puranas, O lord, sung by the high-souled
Marutta, O you of great intelligence! The renunciation is sanctioned by
the ordinance of a preceptor who is filled with vanity, who is destitute
of the knowledge of right and wrong, and who is treading in a devious
path.--Thou are my preceptor and it is for this that I have from love
reverenced you greatly. Thou, however, knowest not the duty of a
preceptor, and it is for this that I will fight with thee. I would not
slay any preceptor in battle, especially again a Brahmana, and more
specially one endued with ascetic merit. It was for this that I forgive
thee. It is well-known truth, gatherable from the scriptures, that he is
not guilty of slaying a Brahmana who killeth in battle a person of that
order that taketh up weapons like Kshatriya and fighteth wrathfully
without seeking to fly. I am a Kshatriya stationed in the practice of
Kshatriya duties. One doth not incur sin, nor doth one incur any harm by
behaving towards a person exactly as that person deserveth. When a person
acquainted with the proprieties of time and place and well-versed in
matters affecting both profit and virtue, feels doubtful, as regards
anything, he should without scruples of any kind, devote himself to the
acquisition of virtue which would confer the highest benefit on him. And
since thou, O Rama, in a matter connected with profit of doubtful
propriety, actest unrighteously, I would certainly fight with you in a
great battle. Behold the strength of my arms and my prowess that is
superhuman! In view of such circumstances, I shall certainly do, O son of
Bhrigu, what I can. I shall fight with thee, O regenerate one, on the
field of Kurukshetra! O Rama of great effulgence, equip thyself as thou
listest for single combat! Come and station thyself on the field of
Kurukshetra where, afflicted with my shafts in great battle, and
sanctified by my weapons, you mayest obtain those regions that have been
won by you (thought for your austerities). O you of mighty arms and
wealth of asceticism, there I will approach you for battle,--thee that
art so fond of battle! There, O Rama, where in days of yore you hadst
propitiated your (deceased) fathers (with oblations of Kshatriya blood),
slaying you there, O son of Bhrigu, I will propitiate the Kshatriya
slain by thee! Come there, O Rama, without delay! There, O you that art
difficult of being vanquished, I will curb your old pride about which the
Brahmanas speak! For many long years, O Rama, you hast boasted,
saying,--I have, single-handed, vanquished all the Kshatriyas of the
Earth!--Listen now to what enabled you to indulge in that boast! In
those days no Bhishma was born, or no Kshatriyas like unto Bhishma!
Kshatriyas really endued with valour have taken their births later on! As
regards thyself, you hast consumed only heaps of straw! The person that
would easily quell your pride of battle hath since been born! He, O
mighty-armed one, is no other than myself, even Bhishma, that subjugator
of hostile cities! Without doubt, O Rama, I shall just quell your pride of
battle!'
"Bhishma continued, 'Hearing these words of mine. Rama addressed me,
laughingly saying, 'By good luck it is, O Bhishma, that you desirest to
fight with me in battle! O you of Kuru's race, even now I go with thee
to Kurukshetra! I will do what you hast said! Come thither, O chastiser
of foes! Let your mother, Jahnavi, O Bhishma, behold you dead on that
plain, pierced with my shafts, and become the food of vultures, crows,
and other carnivorous birds! Let that goddess worshipped by Siddhas and
Charanas, that blessed daughter of Bhagiratha, in the form of a river,
who begat your wicked self, weep today, O king, beholding you slain by me
and lying miserable on that plain, however undeserving she may be of
seeing such a sight! Come, O Bhishma, and follow me, O proud wight,
always longing for battle! O you of Kuru's race, take with thee, O bull
of Bharatas' line, your cars and all other equipments of battle!' Hearing
these words of Rama that subjugator of hostile towns, I worshipped him
with a bend of my head and answered him, saying,--So be it! Having said
all this, Rama then went to Kurukshetra from desire of combat, and I
also, entering our city, represented everything unto Satyavati. Then
causing propitiatory ceremonies to be performed (for my victory), and
being blessed also by my mother, and making the Brahmanas utter
benedictions on me, I mounted on a handsome car made of silver and unto
which, O you of great glory, were yoked steeds white in hue. And every
part of that car was well-built, and it was exceedingly commodious and
covered on all sides with tiger-skin. And it was equipped with many great
weapons and furnished with all necessaries. And it was ridden by
charioteer who was well-born and brave, who was versed in horse-lore,
careful in battle, and well-trained in his art, and who had seen many
encounters. And I was accoutred in a coat of mail, white in hue, and had
my bow in hand. And the bow I took was also white in hue. And thus
equipped, I set out, O best of Bharata's race! And an umbrella, white in
hue, was held over my head. And, O king, I was fanned with fans that also
were white in colour. And clad in white, with also a white head-gear, all
my adornments were white. And eulogised (with laudatory hymns) by
Brahmanas wishing me victory. I issued out of the city named after the
elephant, and proceeded to Kurukshetra, which, O bull of Bharata's race,
was to be the field of battle! And those steeds, fleet as the mind or the
wind, urged by my charioteer, soon bore me, O king, to that great
encounter. And arrived in the field of Kurukshetra, both myself and Rama,
eager for battle, became desirous of showing each other our prowess. And
arrived within view of the great ascetic Rama, I took up my excellent
conch and blew a loud blast. And many Brahmanas, O king, and many
ascetics having their abodes in the forest, as also the gods with Indra
at their head, were stationed there for beholding the great encounter.
And many celestial garlands and diverse kinds of celestial music and many
cloudy canopies could be noticed there. And all those ascetics who had
come with Rama, desiring to become spectators of the fight, stood all
around the field. Just at this juncture, O king, my divine mother devoted
to the good of all creatures, appeared before me in her own form and
said, 'What is this that you seekest to do? Repairing to Jamadagni's
son, O son of Kuru's race, I will repeatedly solicit him saying,--Do not
fight Bhishma who is your disciple!--O son, being a Kshatriya do not
obstinately set your heart on an encounter in battle with Jamadagni's son
who is a Brahmana!' Indeed, it was thus that she reproved me. And she
also said, 'O son, Rama, equal in prowess unto Mahadeva himself, is the
exterminator of the Kshatriya order! It is not known to thee, that thou
desirest an encounter with him.' Thus addressed by her, I saluted the
goddess reverentially and replied unto her with joined hands, giving her,
O chief of the Bharatas, an account of all that had transpired in that
self-choice (of the daughter of Kasi). I also told her every thing, O
king of kings, about how I had urged Rama (to desist from the combat). I
also gave her a history of all the past acts of the (eldest) daughter of
Kasi. My mother then, the great River, wending to Rama, began, for my
sake, to beseech the Rishi of Bhrigu's race. And she said unto him these
words, viz.,--Do not fight Bhishma who is your disciple!--Rama, however,
said unto her while she was beseeching him thus, 'Go and make Bhishma
desist! He doth not execute out my wish! It is for this that I have
challenged him!'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thus addressed by Rama, Ganga, from affection
for her son, came back to Bhishma. But Bhishma, with eyes rolling in
anger, refused to do her bidding. Just at this time, the mighty ascetic
Rama, that foremost one of Bhrigu's race, appeared in Bhishma's sight. An
then that best of the twice-born ones challenged him to the encounter.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 181 ---------------------
