Bhagavadgita Parva — Dhritarashtra's queries

Dhritarashtra said How has that foremost of all the Kurus Bhishma been killed by Shikhandi? How did my sire (Bhishma) who was like a second Indra fall down from his car?

O Sanjaya, what happened to my sons when they were deprived of the powerful Bhishma who was like a god and who led a life of celibacy for his father?

On the fall of that foremost of men Bhishma who possessed great wisdom, great ability for action, great powers and great energy what did our warriors thinks in their ininds?

Hearing that the foremost of men, the best of the Kurus, the unwavering hero (Bhishma) is killed, my heart is possessed by great grief. sun

When he advanced who followed him and who went in front? Who stood by his side and who advanced with him?

Who arc those brave warriors that followed that foremost of all car-warriors, that great bowman, that best of the Kshatriya (Bhishma) when he penetrated into the ranks of the enemy?

When he attacked the enemy's rank who were the warriors that opposed the chastiser of foes who resembled the and who, spreading terror among the foes destroyed their ranks as the sun destroys darkness, and who achieved exceedingly difficult feats amongst the ranks of the Pandavas?

O Sanjaya, how did the Pandavas oppose in battle that invincible son of Shantanu that accomplished warrior when he attacked them?

How did Kunti's son overthrow in battle that unconquerable one, that fearful bowman scattering fearful arrows, and cutting off the enemies, heads, that invincible hero, modest in every thing, that foremost of all men, stationed on his chariot that hero, having arrows for his teeth, with bow for his wide open mouth, with the terrible sword for his tongue; how was be overthrown, who was never vanquished before and who did not deserve such a fate, that warrior who was as irresistible as the fire of dissolution and seeing whom in battle the great army of the Pandavas were ever filled with terror?

Destroying the enemy's troops for ten days that slayer of heroes, having achieved most difficult feats, has now set like the sun.

As the result of my evil counsels, that scion of the Bharata race, scattering like Indra himself an inexhaustible shower of arrows, killed in battle one hundred millions of warriors in ten days. He now lies on the bare ground though he deserved it not on the field of battle deprived of life like a great tree uprooted by the wind.

Seeing the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, of fearful prowess, how could the army of the Panchalas strike him down?

How did the Pandavas fight with Bhishma? O Sanjaya, how is it that Bhishma could not conquer when Drona is still alive.

When Kripa was near him, when Drona was there, how could Bhishma that foremost of warriors be killed?

How could Bhishma, who was an Atiratha and who could not be resisted even by the celestial be killed in battle by the Panchala Prince Shikhandin?

O Sanjaya, he who always considered himself equal to the mighty son of Jamadagni, he whom Jamadagni's son himself could not conquer, he who resembled Indra in prowess, tell me how such a hero, Bhishma, born as he was in the race of Maharathas, was killed in battle. Without knowing all the particulars, I cannot get rest.

O Sanjaya, (tell me) what great bow men of my army, did not abandon that hero of unfading energy and what brave warriors at the command Duryodhana stood around that hero in order to protect him?

O Sanjaya, when all the Pandavas with Shikhandin at their head advanced against Bhishma, I hope the Kurus stood by the side of the great hero of immeasurable prowess.

Hard as my heart is, it is surely made of stone that it does not break on hearing the death of the foremost of men, Bhishma.

There were truth, intelligence and policy to an immeasurable extent in that irresistible chief of the Bharata race. How could he be killed in battle?

He was like a mighty cloud, the twang of his bow was the roar of that clouds, the arrows were its showers of rains, and the sound of his bow was its thunder. That hero, showering his arrows on the sons of Kunti along with the Panchalas and Srinjayas who were on their side struck down the hostile car-warriors as the slayer of Bala (Indra) struck down the Danavas.

Who were the heroes that opposed, as the shore resists the surging sea, that chastiser of foes, who was a fearful ocean of arrows and weapons, an ocean in which arrows were the terrible crocodiles, bows were the waves, maces and swords were the sharks, steeds and elephants were the eddies,, the foot soldiers were like so many thousands fishes, and the sounds of conchs and drums its roars, an inexhaustible and agitated ocean without an island and without a raft to cross it, an ocean that swallowed up horses and elephants and foot soldiers by millions, an ocean that drowned all hostile heroes, and that consumed in wrath, the wrath which was its ocean fire?

Who were in his front when that chastiser of foes Bhishma achieved great feats in battle for the good of Duryodhana?

Who were they that protected the right of that immeasurably powerful warrior? Who were they that resisted the enemy's warriors from his rear with patience and energy?

Who placed themselves just in front of him to protect him? Who were the heroes that protected the front of that brave warrior when he fought?

Who were they that placed themselves on his left and attacked the Srinjayas? Who were they that protected the irresistible ranks of his advanced guard?

Who protected the wings of that warrior who has gone away to his last journey? O Sanjaya, who were they that fought with the enemy's warriors in general engagement?

If he was protected by our warriors and if they protected by him, how is it that he could not defeat in battle the Pandava army, invincible though it was?

O Sanjaya, how could the Pandavas succeed in striking Bhishma who was like Parameshti himself, that lord and creator of all creatures.

O Sanjaya, you tell me of the disappearance of Bhishma, that foremost of men who was our main stay and relying on whom, the Kurus were fighting with their enemies.

Alas, how has that greatly powerful warrior, relying on whose prowess my son never cared for the Pandavas, been (today) killed by the enemy?

In the day of yore when the celestials were fighting with the Danavas, they sought the help of that invincible hero, my great vowobserving father.

O Sanjaya, how can you tell me that Bhishma that foremost of all mighty men, that renowned warrior, that great refuge of all, that wise and virtuous man ever devoted to the duties of his order and learned in all the Vedas and their branches, the hero in whose birth Shantanu was freed from all grief, melancholy and sorrow, has been killed?

Skilled in every weapon, possessing himself gentleness, and great energy with passions under complete control, hearing that such son of Shantanu (Bhishma) is killed, I consider that rest of my army as already slain.

In my opinion, impiety has now become stronger than piety, for the Pandavas desire sovereignty even killed their venerable Guru.

In the days of yore. Rama, the son of Jamadagni, skilled in every weapon and whom none excelled, was vanquished by Bhishma in battle when fighting on behalf of Amba.

You tell me that Bhishma who is the foremost of all warriors and who is equal to Indra in the great deeds he has performed has been killed, what can be a greater grief to me than this?

That great intelligent one, who was not killed even by that slayer of hostile heroes, that Rama, the son of Jamadagni who defeated in battle all Kshatriyas, has now been killed by Shikhandin,.

There is no doubt the son of Drupada Shikhandin, who has killed in battle that best of the Bharata race, that hero skilled in the greatest of weapons, that brave and accomplished warrior learned in every weapon, is therefore superior to the invincible and greatly powerful son of Bhrigu (Parashuram) in energy, prowess and might. (Now tell me) who were the warriors that followed the chastiser of focs in that great battle?

Tell me how the battle was fought between the Pandavas and Bhishma? O Sanjaya, my army, deprived of its hero, is now like a woman without a protector.

That army is now like a panic-stricken herd of kine deprived of its herdsman. When he who possessed prowess superior to that of every man, has fallen in the field of battle, (I guess) what is the mind of my army. O Sanjaya, what power is there in our life.

When we have caused our greatly powerful father, that foremost of all virtuous men in the world to be killed? Like a man who, when desirous of crossing the sea, sees the boat sunk down in fathomless water.

I am sure, my sons are bewailing in grief for the death of Bhishma. O Sanjaya, my heart is surely made of stone.

For it does not burst even on hearing the death of Bhishma that foremost of all men, in whom were intelligence and policy and skill in arms.

How has that invincible warrior been killed in battle? Neither by weapons, nor by courage, nor by ascetic merit, nor by intelligence.

Nor by firmness, nor by gift, can a man free himself from death. The greatly powerful Time cannot be transgressed by any thing in the world.

When, O Sanjaya, as you tell me the son of Shantanu Bhishma is dead. Burning with grief for my sons, nay overwhelmed with great sorrow I hoped for relief from the son of Shantanu, Bhishma. O Sanjaya when he saw Shantanu's son lying dead on the ground like a sun (dropped from the sky) whom did Duryodhana make his refuge? O Sanjaya, reflecting (all I can) with the help of my understanding, I do not see what the end will be of all those kings who are on my side and those who are on the side of the enemy, those that have joined the opposite parties of the battle. Alas, cruel are the Kshatriya duties as fixed by the Rishis, for the Pandavas desire to obtain the sovereignty by even causing the death of Shantanu's son and we too desire to obtain sovereignty by offering that great vowobserving hero as a sacrifice.

The sons of Pritha, as well as my sons are all performing the duties of Kshatriyas. Therefore none of them incurs any sin, O Sanjaya, even a very virtuous man should do it when a great calamity comes.

The display of prowess and the great strength has been considered to be the duty of a Kshatriya. How did the Pandavas oppose my father Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, that invincible but modest hero when he was destroying the troops of the enemy? How were the troops arranged and how did he fight with the illustrious enemies?

O Sanjaya, how was my father Bhishma killed in battle? Duryodhana, Karna and the great skillful Shakuni, the son of Subala.

And the wily Dushasana, what did they say when Bhishma was killed? Entering that fearful abode of destructive battles play in which the balls have been made by the men, elephants and horses, in which arrows and javelins and swords and darts have formed the dice, who were those notched gamblers that gamble, by taking their very lives who won, who lost who cast the dice with success and who else have been killed besides the son of Shantanu, Bhishma. Tell me all, O Sanjaya, for hearing that Devavrata (of his men) that father of mine, that hero of fearful deeds, that ornament of battle, Bhishma is killed, peace cannot come to me. Thinking that all my sons would be killed, I am affected with the greatest anguish.

O Sanjaya, you make my that grief blaze forth as fire with Ghee. Sceing Bhishma, celebrated in all the worlds, who undertook a great task, killed, I am sure my sons are lamenting. I desire to hear all their sorrows that have been produced by Duryodhana's act.

Therefore, O Sanjaya, tell me all that had happened in the battle, the result of my wicked son's folly.

O Sanjaya, ill or well, tell me every thing. Tell me all in full and in detail, all that was achieved in the battle of Bhishma ever desirous of victory, by that great warrior skilled in all weapons. How did the battle take place between the armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas and in what manner was the battle fought?