Then that delighter of the Yadavas, beholding the Pandava army breaking, reined the excellent car (that he guided), and addressing Bibhatsu the son of Pritha, said,
“That hour is come, O Partha, which you had hoped for. Strike now, O tiger among men, or you will be deprived of your senses. Formerly, O hero, you said, O Partha, in that conclave of kings in Virata's city, in the presence also of Sanjaya, these words,
“I will slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra's son, all of them with their followers, including, Bhishma and Drona, that would fight with me in battle.”
O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words of yours true. Remembering the duty of a Kshatriya, fight, without any anxiety.”
Thus addressed by Vasudeva, Arjuna hung down his head and looked askance at him. Bibhatsu replied very unwillingly, saying,
“To acquire sovereignty with hell in the end, having slain those who should not be slain, or the woes of an exile in the woods, (these are the alternatives). Which of these should I achieve? Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesha, I will do your bidding. I will overthrow the Kuru grandsire Bhishma, that invincible warrior.”
Thus asked, Madhava urged those steeds of a silvery hue, to the spot where Bhishma, incapable of being looked at like the Sun himself, was staying. Then that large host of Yudhishthira rallied and came again to the fight, beholding the mighty-armed Partha proceeding for an encounter with Bhishma. Then Bhishma that foremost one among the Kurus, repeatedly roared like a lion. He soon covered Dhananjaya's car with a shower of arrows. Within a trice that car of his with its steeds and charioteer, became entirely invisible in consequence of that thick shower of arrows. Vasudeva, however, without fear, mustering patience, and endued with great activity, urged those steeds mangled with Bhishma's shafts. Then Partha, taking up his celestial bow of twang loud as the roar of the clouds, caused Bhishma's bow to drop from his hands, cutting it (into fragments) by means of his sharp shafts. Then Dhritarashtra’s sire, the Kuru hero, whose bow had thus been cut off, stringed another large bow within the twinkling of the eye. Arjuna, however, excited with wrath, cut that bow also of his. The son of Shantanu applauded that lightness of hand displayed by Arjuna, saying,
“Well done, Well done, O mighty-armed one. Well done, O son of Kunti.”
Having addressed him thus, Bhishma took up another beautiful bow in that battle, and shot many arrows at Partha's car. Vasudeva showed great skill in the management of steeds, for, displaying the circling motion he baffled all those arrows (of Bhishma). Mangled with the arrows of Bhishma, those two tigers among men looked beautiful like two angry bulls marked with scratches of horns. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the mighty-armed Vasudeva of Madhu's race beholding that Partha was fighting mildly and that Bhishma was incessantly scattering his arrowy showers in battle, and that stationed between the two hosts, he latter was scorching everything like the Sun himself, smiting down the foremost of Yudhishthira's combatants, and, in fact, achieving feat on Yudhishthira's army like unto what happened at the end of the Yuga, could not any longer bear it. Abandoning then, Partha's steeds that looked like silver, and filled with wrath, that great lord of Yoga powers jumped down from that great car. Repeatedly roaring like a lion, the mighty Krishna of great energy and immeasurable splendour, the Lord of Universe, with eyes red as copper from rage, and having his bare arms alone for his weapons, rushed towards Bhishma, whip in hand, desirous of slaying him and seeming to split the universe itself with his tread. Beholding Madhava in the vicinity of Bhishma and about to fall upon him in that furious battle, the hearts of all the combatants seemed to be in a stupor. “Bhishma is slain, Bhishma is slain.” - These loud exclamations were heard there, caused by the fear inspired by Vasudeva. Robed in yellow silk, and himself dark as the lapis lazuli, Janardana, when he pursued Bhishma, looked beautiful as a mass of clouds charged with lightning. Like a lion towards an elephant, or the leader of a bovine herd upon another of his species, that bull of Madhu's race, with a loud roar, impetuously rushed towards Bhishma. Beholding him of eyes like lotus petals (thus) rushing towards him in that battle, Bhishma began to fearlessly draw his large bow. With a fearless heart he addressed Govinda, saying,
“Come, come, O you of eyes like lotus petals. O God of the gods, I bow to you. O best of the Satwatas, throw me down today in this great battle. O god, slain by you in battle, O sinless one, great will be the good done to me, O Krishna, in every respect in the world. Amongst all, in the three worlds, great is the honour done to me today in battle, O Govinda. Strike me as you please, for I am your slave, O sinless one.”
Meanwhile, the mighty-armed Partha. quickly following Keshava behind, seized him by encircling him with his two arms. That best of male beings, viz., Krishna, of eyes like lotus petals, seized by Partha, still proceeded with great speed, bearing the latter away with him. The mighty Partha, that slayer of hostile heroes, however, forcibly catching hold of his legs, stopped Hrishikesha with great difficulty at the tenth step. Then Arjuna his dear friend, filled with sorrow, affectionately addressed Keshava, who was then sighing like a snake and whose eyes were troubled in wrath, saying,
“O you of mighty arms, stop, O Keshava, it befits you not to make those words false which you had spoken before, viz., I will not fight. O Madhava, people will say that you are a liar. All this burden rests upon me. I will slay the grandsire. I swear, O Keshava, by my weapons, by truth, and my good deeds, that, O slayer of foes, I will do all by which the destruction of my foes may be achieved. Behold this very day that invincible and mighty car-warrior in the act of being thrown down by me, with the greatest ease, like the crescent moon at the end of the Yuga (when the destruction of the universe comes).”
Madhava, however, hearing these words of the high-souled Phalguni, spoke not a word, but in anger once more mounted upon the car. Then upon those two tigers among men, when stationed on their car, Bhishma the son of Shantanu, once more poured his arrowy showers like the clouds pouring rain upon the mountain-breast. Dhritarashtra’s sire Devavrata took the lives of the (hostile) warriors like the Sun sucking with his rays the energies of all things during summer. As the Pandavas had been breaking the ranks of the Kurus in battle, so Dhritarashtra’s sire broke the Pandava ranks in battle. The routed soldiers, helpless and heartless, slaughtered in hundreds and thousands by Bhishma, were unable to even look at him in that battle, him who resembled the mid-day Sun blazing in his own splendour. Indeed, the Pandavas afflicted with fear, timidly gazed at Bhishma who was then achieving super-human feats in that battle. The Pandava troops, thus fleeing away, O Bharata, failed to find a protector, like a herd of kine sunk in a shoal of ants while being trod down by a strong person. Indeed, the Pandavas could not look at that mighty car-warrior incapable of being shaken, who, furnished with a profusion of shafts, was scorching the kings (in the Pandava army), and who in consequence of those shafts looked like the blazing Sun shedding his fiery rays. While he was thus grinding the Pandava army, the thousand-rayed maker of day repaired to the setting hills, and the troops, worn with fatigue, set their hearts on withdrawal (from the field).
While they were battling, the Sun set, and there came the dreadful hour of twilight and the battle could no longer be seen. Then king Yudhishthira, seeing that twilight had come and that his own troops, slaughtered by Bhishma, had thrown aside their weapons, and that stricken with fear, and turned off the field, they were seeking to flee away, and beholding Bhishma also, that mighty car-warrior, excited with wrath and afflicting everybody in fight, and noticing that the mighty car-warriors of the Somakas, having been vanquished, had all become cheerless, reflected a little, and then ordered the troops to be withdrawn. Then king Yudhishthira withdrew his forces. Similarly, the withdrawal of Dhritarashtra’s forces also took place at the same time. Then those mighty car-warriors, having withdrawn their forces, entered their tents, themselves mangled in battle. Afflicted by the shafts of Bhishma and reflecting upon that hero's feats in battle, the Pandavas obtained no peace of mind. Bhishma also, having vanquished the Pandavas and the Srinjayas in battle, was worshipped by Dhritarashtra’s sons and glorified by them. Accompanied by the rejoicing Kurus, he then entered his tent. Night then set in, that deprives all creatures of their senses.
Yudhishthira asks Bhishma how to defeat him
Then in that fierce hour of night, the Pandavas, the Vrishnis and the invincible Srinjayas sat down for a consultation. All those mighty persons, skilled in arriving at conclusions in council, coolly deliberated about that which was beneficial for them in view of their immediate circumstances. Then king Yudhishthira, having reflected for a long while, said these words, casting his eyes on Vasudeva,
“Behold, O Krishna, the high-souled Bhishma of fierce prowess. He crushes my troops like an elephant crushing a forest of reeds. We dare not even look at that high-souled warrior. Like a raging conflagration he licked up my troops. The valiant Bhishma of keen weapons, when excited with wrath in battle and bow in hand shooting his shafts, becometh as fierce as the mighty Naga Takshaka of virulent poison. Indeed, the angry Yama is capable of being vanquished, or even the chief of the celestials armed with the thunder, or Varuna himself, noose in hand, or the Lord of the Yakshas armed with mace. But Bhishma, excited with wrath, is incapable of being vanquished in battle. When this is the case, O Krishna, I am, through the weakness of my understanding, plunged in an ocean of grief having got Bhishma (as a foe) in battle. I will retire into the woods, O invincible one. My exile there would be for my benefit. Battle, O Krishna, I no longer desire. Bhishma slays us always. As an insect, by rushing into a blazing fire meets only with death, even so do I rush upon Bhishma. In putting forth prowess, O you of Vrishni's race, for the sake of my kingdom, I am, alas, led to destruction. My brave brothers have all been exceedingly afflicted with arrows. In consequence of the affection they bear to myself their (eldest) brother they had to go into the woods, deprived of kingdom. For myself alone, O slayer of Madhu, has Krishna been sunk into such distress. I regard life to be of high value. Indeed, even life now seemed to be difficult of being saved. (If I can save that life), its latter remnant will I pass in the practice of excellent virtue. If, with my brothers, O Keshava, I am worthy of your favour, tell me, O Krishna, what is for my benefit, without contravening the duties of my order.”
Hearing these words of his, and (describing the situation) in detail, Krishna, from compassion, said these words in reply for comforting Yudhishthira,
“O son of Dharma, O you that are firm in truth, do you not indulge in sorrow, you that has these invincible heroes, these slayers of foes, for your brothers. Arjuna and Bhimasena are each endued with the energy of the Wind and the Fire. The twin sons of Madri also are each as valiant as the Chief of the celestials himself. From the good understanding that exists between us, do you set me also to this task. Even I, O son of Pandu, will fight with Bhishma. Directed by you, O great king, what is there that I may not do in great battle. Challenging that bull among men, viz., Bhishma, I will slay him in battle, in the very sight of the Dhartarashtras, if Phalguni does not wish to slay him. If, O son of Pandu, you see victory to be certain on the slaughter of the heroic Bhishma, even, I, on a single car, will slay that aged grandsire of the Kurus. Behold, O king, my prowess, equal to that of the great Indra in battle. I will overthrow from his car that warrior who always shoots mighty weapons. He that is an enemy of the sons of Pandu, without doubt, is my enemy also. They, that are yours, are mine, and so they, that are mine, are yours. Your brother (Arjuna) is my friend, relative, and disciple. I will, O king, cut off my own flesh and give it away for the sake of Arjuna. And this tiger among men also can lay down his life for my sake. O sire, even this is our understanding, viz., that we will protect each other. Therefore, command me, O king, in what way I am to fight.
Formerly, at Upaplavya, Partha had, in the presence of many persons, vowed, saying, “I will slay the son of Ganga.” These words of the intelligent Partha should be observed (in practice). Indeed, if Partha requests me without doubt I will fulfill that vow. Or, let it be the task of Phalguni himself in battle. It is not heavy for him. He will slay Bhishma, that subjugator of hostile cities. If excited in battle, Partha can achieve feats that are incapable of being achieved by others. Arjuna can slay in battle the very gods exerting themselves actively, along with the Daityas and the Danavas. What need be said of Bhishma, therefore, O king? Endued with great energy, Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, is now of perverted judgment, of intelligence decayed, and of little sense, without doubt, he knows not what he should do.”
Hearing these words of Krishna, Yudhishthira said,
“It is even so, O you of mighty arms, even as you say, O you of Madhu's race. All these together are not competent to bear your force. I am sure of always having whatever I desire, when, O tiger among men, I have yourself staying on my side. O foremost of victorious persons, I would conquer the very gods with Indra at their head, when, O Govinda, I have you for my protector. What need I say, therefore, of Bhishma, though he is a mighty car-warrior? But, O Krishna, I dare not, for my own glorification, falsify your words. Therefore, O Madhava, as promised before by you, render me aid without fighting for me. In this battle an agreement was made by me with Bhishma. He said, “I will give you counsel, but fight I shall never for you, since I shall have to fight for Duryodhana's sake. Know this for truth.”
Therefore, O Lord, Bhishma may give me sovereignty by giving me good counsel, O Madhava. Therefore, O slayer of Madhu, all of us accompanied by you, will once more repair unto Devavrata, for asking him about the means of his own death. All of us then, O best of persons, together going to Bhishma without delay, will speedily ask him of Kuru's race his advice. O Janardana, he will truly give us beneficial counsel, and O Krishna, I will do in battle what he will say. Of austere vows, he will give us counsel, as also victory. We were children and orphans. By him were we reared. O Madhava, him, our aged grandsire, I wish to day, him, the sire of our sire. Oh, fie upon the profession of a Kshatriyas.”
Hearing these words, he of Vrishni's race said unto Yudhishthira,
“O you of great wisdom, these words of yours, O king, are to my taste. Bhishma, otherwise called Devavrata, is skilled in weapons. With only his glances he can consume the foe. Repair unto that son of the Ocean-going (Ganga), for asking him about the means of his death. Asked by you, in particular, he will certainly say the truth. We will, therefore, proceed for questioning the Kuru grandsire. Repairing unto the reverend son of Shantanu, we will, O Bharata, ask him his advice and according to the advice that he will give us we will fight with the foe.”
Having thus deliberated, the heroic sons of Pandu, and the valiant Vasudeva, all proceeded together towards the abode of Bhishma, casting aside their coats of mail and weapons and entering then his tent, they all bowed to him, bending their heads. The sons of Pandu, worshipping that bull of Bharata's race, and bowing unto him with their heads, sought his protection. The Kuru grandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma, then addressed them, saying,
“Welcome are you, O you of Vrishni's race. Welcome are you, O Dhananjaya. Welcome to you, O king Yudhishthira the just, Ad to you, O Bhima. Welcome to you also, you twins. What am I to do now for enhancing your joy? Even if it be exceedingly difficult of achievement, I will yet do it with all my soul.”
Unto the son of Ganga who thus repeatedly spoke unto them with such affection, king Yudhishthira, with a cheerful heart, lovingly said, these words,
“O you that are conversant with everything, how shall we obtain victory, and how shall we acquire sovereignty? How also may this destruction of creatures be stopped? Say all these unto me, O lord. Tell us the means of your own death. How, O hero, shall we be able to bear you in battle? O grandsire of the Kurus, you give not your foes even a minute hole to pick in you. You are seen in battle with your bow ever drawn to a circle. When you take your shafts, when aim them, and when draw the bow (for letting them off), no one is able to mark. O slayer of hostile heroes, constantly smiting (as you do) cars and steeds and men and elephants, we behold you on your car, O mighty-armed one, to resemble a second Sun. What man is there, O bull of Bharata's race, who can venture to vanquish you, scattering showers of arrows in battle, and causing a great destruction. Tell me, O grandsire, the means by which we may vanquish you in battle, by which sovereignty may be ours, and lastly, by which my army may not have to undergo such destruction.”
Hearing these words, Shantanu’s son said unto the son of Pandu,
“As long as I am alive, O son of Kunti, victory cannot be yours in battle, O you of great wisdom. Truly do I say this unto you. After, however, I am vanquished in fight, you may have victory in battle, you sons of Pandu. If, therefore, you desire victory in the battle, smite me down without delay. I give you permission, you sons of Pritha, strike me as you please. I am thus known to you in what I regard to be a fortunate circumstance. After I am slain, all the rest will be slain. Therefore, do as I bid.”
Yudhishthira said,
“Tell us the means by which we may vanquish you in battle, you that are, when excited with wrath in the fight, like unto the Destroyer himself armed with mace. The wielder of the thunder-bolt may be vanquished or Varuna, or Yama. You, however, are incapable of being defeated in battle by even the gods and Asuras united together, with Indra at their head.”
Bhishma said,
“That, O son of Pandu, is true, which you say. O you, of mighty arms. When with weapons and my large bow in hand I contend carefully in battle, I am incapable of being defeated by the very gods and the Asuras with Indra at their head. If, however, I lay aside my weapons, even these car-warriors can slay me. One that has thrown away his weapons, one that has fallen down, one whose armour has slipped off, one whose standard is down, one who is flying away, one who is frightened, one who says “I am yours,” one who is a female, one who bears the name of a female, one no longer capable of taking care of one's self, one who has only a single son, or one who is a vulgar fellows, with these I do not like to battle. Hear also, O king, about my resolve formed before. Beholding any inauspicious omen I would never fight. That mighty car-warrior, the son of Drupada, O king, whom you have in your army, who is known by the name of Shikhandin, who is wrathful in battle, brave, and ever victorious, was a female before but subsequently obtained manhood. How all this took place, you all know it truly. Brave in battle and clad in mail, let Arjuna, keeping Shikhandin before him, attack me with his sharp shafts. When that inauspicious omen will be there, especially in the form of one that was a female before, I will never seek, though armed with bow and arrow, to strike him. Obtaining that opportunity, let Dhananjaya the son of Pandu quickly pierce me on every side with his shafts, O bull of Bharata's race. Except the highly blessed Krishna, and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, I do not behold the person in the three worlds who is able to slay me while exerting myself in battle. Let Bibhatsu, therefore, armed with weapons, struggling carefully in battle, with his excellent bow in hand, placing (Shikhandin or) something else before, throw, me down (from my car). Then the victory will be certain. Do this, O great king, even this that I have said unto you, O you of excellent vows. You will then be able to slay all Dhartarashtras assembled together in battle.”
The Parthas then, having ascertained all this went back to their tents, saluting the Kuru grandsire, viz., the high-souled Bhishma. After Ganga's son, prepared to go to the other world, had said this, Arjuna. burning with grief and his face suffused in shame, said these words,
“How, O Madhava, shall I fight in battle with the grandsire who is my senior in years, who is possessed of wisdom and intelligence, and who is the oldest member of our race? While sporting in days of childhood, O Vasudeva, I used to smear the body of this high-souled and illustrious one with dust by climbing on his lap with my own filthy body. O elder brother of Gada, he is the sire of my sire Pandu. While a child, climbing on the lap of this high-souled one I once called him father, “I am not your father but your father's father, O Bharata!” This is what he said to me (in reply) in my childhood. He who said so, Oh, how can he be slain by me. O, let my army perish. Whether, it is victory or death that I obtain I will never fight that high-souled person. (Even this is what I think). What do you think, O Krishna!”
Vasudeva said,
“Having vowed the slaughter of Bhishma before, O Jishnu, how can you abstain from slaying him, agreeably to the duties of a Kshatriya? Throw down from his car, O Partha, that Kshatriya who is invincible in battle. Victory can never be yours without slaying Ganga's son. Even thus shall he go to the abode of Yama. This has been settled before by the gods. That which has been destined before, O Partha, must happen. It cannot be otherwise. None save you, O invincible one, not even the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself, would be capable of fighting with Bhishma, who is like the Destroyer with wide-open mouth. Slay Bhishma, without any anxiety. Listen also to these words of mine that are what Brihaspati of great intelligence had said unto Shakra in days of old. One should slay even an aged person endued with every merit and worthy of reverence if he cometh as a foe, or, indeed any other who approaches for destroying one's self, O Dhananjaya, this is the eternal duty sanctioned for the Kshatriya, viz., that they should fight, protect subjects, and perform sacrifices, all without malice.”
Arjuna said,
“Shikhandin, O Krishna, will certainly be the cause of Bhishma's death, for Bhishma, as soon as he beholds the prince of the Panchalas, abstains from striking. Therefore, keeping Shikhandin before him and at our head, we will, by that means, overthrow the son of Ganga. Even this is what I think. I will hold in check other great bowmen with my shafts. As regards Shikhandin, he will fight with Bhishma alone, that foremost of all warriors. I have heard from that chief of the Kurus that he would not strike Shikhandin, for having been born before as a woman he subsequently became a male person.”
