Ambopakhyana Parva — Rama's fight with Bhishma

Bhishma said In the very sight of all these persons O maiden, I have done better, according to the best of my power, and displayed my highest prowess.

And yet I have been unable to gain any superiority over Bhishma, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, though I have exerted to the very of my power.

This (which you have seen) is my highest might, this is greatest strength. Go whiter you like, O blessed lady. What else can I do for you?

Take refuge even with Bhishma himself; there exists no other for you. I am vanquished by Bhishma on account of his using such mighty weapons.

Then the high-souled Rama, having thus spoken, fetched a deep sign and remained silent. Then that maiden spoke to the descendant of Bhrigu.

"O holy one, it is even as your holy self has said. This Bhishma, of varied intelligence, is invincible in battle even by the very gods.

To the best of your power and to the best of your energy you have accomplished my work, and in this battle you have shown irresistible might and diverse kinds of weapons.

You have yet been unable to show any superiority (over Bhishma). As for me I shall not go again to this Bhishma. Thither, however, shall I repair, where, O you whose wealth is asceticism, I shall be able myself to (obtain the means to fell down in battle this Bhishma, O you the perpetuator of the race of Bhrigu."

Having spoken thus, that maid went away with eyes agitated with wrath, and intending to bring about my death she firmly resolved to practice asceticism,

Then that foremost one among Bhrigu's defendants, accompanied by those ascetics, departed, after bidding me farewell for the mountain of Mahendra, O Bharata, whence he had come.

Thereupon, sending my chariot, and praised by the twice-born, I entered the city and immediately informed Satyavati, my mother,

Every thing as it had happened, O great king, and she (in her turn) uttered words and congratulations to me. I then appointed intelligent and wise men to watch the proceedings of that maiden.

Day after day, they went and learnt whatever she did, being devoted and always stationed at their duty, and brought them to me, always their well-wisher.

Even at the time when that maiden went to the woods best on practicing asceticism, I became melancholy and poorly with pain.

No Kshatriya has ever by mere prowess vanquished me in battle, except one acquainted with Brahma, O my son and observant of vows and austerities.

I then informed even Narada, O king, and also Vyasa of the doings (of that daughter of the king of Kashi), and both of them said to me.

"O Bhishma, you need not be depressed on account of the daughter of Kashi. Who can have the power to alter the course of destiny by individual resolution?

That maiden, O great king, having entered the pale of a secluded pot, began practicing austerities of superhuman endurance, on the banks of the Yamuna,

And she remained in the water of the Yamuna for one year, and another year, that lady remained fasting without food. Without food and emaciated, rough skined, and bronzed, with matted locks, and begrimed with the mud (of the river), that lady, whose wealth consisted in asceticism, remained fixed and motionless for six months, her only food being the air.

And after this she broke her fast by eating a single dry leaf, and then she the great river on one foot fire with indignation as she was.

And thus she continued for twelve years (her austerities) and made the heaven not. Nor could she be made to desist from the course by her relatives.

Then she went to Vatsabhumi, resorted to by Siddhas and Charanas, and the retreat of high-souled ascetics of pious deeds.

And there, in the sacred waters of pilgrimages, she bathed herself night and day, and that daughter of the lord of Kashi roamed about, fierce as she was, according to her desire.

Proceeding next to the hermitage of Narada, and then to the auspicious hermitage of Uluka, and to that of Chyavana, and even to the sacred spot of Brahma,

And to Prayaga, the sacrificial spot of the gods, and to the forest sacred to the gods and to Bhogavati, O monarch, as also to the hermitage of Kaushika,

And to the hermitage of Mandvya O king, as also to the hermitage of Dilipa to the (sacred) water of Rama's lake, O Kauravya, and to the hermitage of Pailagarga,

In these sacred places of pilgrimages that maiden of Kashi, O lord of earth, bathed her body, and all this while practicing the austerities difficult of performance.

(One day) my mother, (Ganga) while in the waters, spoke these words, O Kaurava why do you take so much pains, O blessed one! Tell me the truth.

She then spoke, of whom no one can speak evil, with hands folded to my mother “O faireyed one, Rama has been vanquished in battle by Bhishma.

Who else, though a lord of earth, can attempt to vanquish him when he stands forward with his arrows? And I am practicing these sever austerities for the destruction of Bhishma.

I wander about in the earth, O goddess, with the one purpose of obtaining the means of death of that king, and this is the vow I have taken, O goddess, in everything else that I do.”

Thereupon the ocean, going (Ganga my mother) spoke: “O lady, you are acting crookedly. O faultless one, this object of yours you shall not be able to attain, O weak one.

O daughter of Kashi, if you hold to this vow for the destruction of Bhishma, and even if you take leave of your body while performing these austerities.

You shall be turned to a tortuous river, O fair one, with water (only in the rains. Your water shall be inaccessible and unknown, and (as you shall be) with water only during the rainy season, you shall be dry for eight months (in the year);

Filled with dreadful alligators and yourself dreadful, and inspiring terror in all creatures." Having thus spoken, O king, my mother, that lady of great fortune pretending to smile, dismissed the daughter of Kashi. Thereupon that highly fair one did not even drink water, sometimes for eight months and sometimes for ten months.

And the daughter of the king of Kashi, o Kauravya, on account of her love of pilgrimage came to Vatsabhumi, and there she fell down and began to run down (as a river.)

And O Bharata, it is recorded that the river in Vatsabhumi, was filled with water only during the rains, and abounded in alligators, was difficult to ford and tortuous in her course).

O king, by merit of her austerities that maiden became a river by only half her body, while by the other half she remained a maiden in Vatsabhumi, as before.