अम्बोपाख्यान पर्व — परशुराम और भीष्म का युद्ध

Bhishma said “O Rama, slay Bhishma, “having been thus addressed, my lord, he said to that weeping girl who urged him again and again.

"O princess of Kashi, I do not take up arms from my own desire, O you of fair complexion, except at the bidding of those conversant with the Vedas; what else shall I do for you?

O Princess, both Bhishma and Shalva act up to my words and I shall accomplish this work, Do not grieve.

But I shall not on any account take up arms except at the bidding of regenerate persons; for this is the vow I have made.

Amba said By some means or other, my distress has its origin in Bhishma; slay him therefore without delay, my lord.

Rama said O princess of Kashi, I tell you again that thought Bhishma is worthy of your worship, he will, at my word, take up both your feet on his head.

Amba said Kill Bhishma in battle, O Rama, for he roars like an Asura, after challenging him to fight if you desire, what is pleasing to me, O Rama; besides it is proper that you should perform what you have promised.

Bhishma said While the two, Amba and Rama, were thus conversing together, the Rishi, of extremely virtuous soul, said these words:

This is not proper for you, O you of long arms, to abandon a girl who has taken refuge with you. If, O Rama, Bhishma being challenged by you in fight,

Either says “I am vanquished" or acts !p to your words then the object of this lady will be fulfilled, O delighter of the Bhrigu race.

And your promise, my lord, will be redeemed, At the time (of war with the Kshatriyas), this was your promise, O Rama, O great sage.

Having conquered all the Kshatriyas at the time you made this promise to the Brahmanas. "If a Brahmana or a Kshatriya or a Vaishya or a Shudra in battle,

Becomes the destroyer of a Brahmana I shall slay him" O you of Bhrigu's race, Then, who out of fear will take refuge with me,

I shall never be able to abandon by any means so long I have some alive, even if a Kshatriyas comes to war with me.

"I shall slay that one, of blazing self though he be" O you of Bhrigu's race. O Rama, that Bhishma, the supporter of the Kuru race, is even such, Fight with him in battle therefore, O Rama.

Rama said I remember the promise that I made before, O you best among the Rishis, but in this instance I shall act in such a way that I may gain my object by peaceful means.

This work, aimed at by the princess of Kashis, is indeed great, Taking this lady, I shall go myself there where he is.

If Bhishma, proud of his feats in war, does not act up to my commands I shall certainly slay that arrogant one.

The arrows, shot forth by me, do not stick in the body of living creatures (but pass clearly through them); it is known to you in the with the Kshatriyas.

Rama saying this, along with those conversant with Brahma, those great devotees rose up intending to depart.

Then those devotees, staying there for the night, performed their Homa and other ceremonies and went away with the desire of taking my life.

Then did Rama depart accompanied by those utters of Brahma, making for Kurukshetra, O great king, and taking that girl with him.

All of them, namely those great-souled ascetics with that foremost among the race of Bhrigu at their head, having reached the river Sarasvati, encamped there.

Bhishma said On the third day of their encampment, the one of great vows sent me words: "I am come, do what is agreeable to me.”

Hearing of the arrival of that one endued with great strength at the boundary of my kingdom I went to that lord, the ocean of energy, with great cheerfulness,

With a cow before me and surrounded by Brahmanas, priests and preceptors who were equal to the gods themselves.

The son of Jamadagni, endued with luster, seeking me, accepted that worship and said these words,

Rama said I Bhishma, in what frame of mind was the daughter of the king of Kashis led away by you though you wanted her not; and why was she again sent away.

By you has this lady of spotless fame been robbed of virtue; for touched by you as she has been, for whom would it be proper to marry her?

Having been once led away by you she has been rejected by Shalva; therefore do at my words accept her, O Bharata.

Let this princess fulfill her object, О best among men, and it is not proper, O king, that she should be disgraced by you, O sinless one.

Seeing him absent-minded on her account I said, “I cannot again offer her to my brother by any means, O Brahmana,"

To me she said before, I belong to Shalva, you of the Bhrigu race, and permitted by me went towards his capital.

Not out of fear, nor out of pity, nor out of avarice and nor out of a desire to gain my object shall I abandon the duties of the Kshatriya order, such has been the vow made by me.

Then did Rama say to me with eyes expanded with wrath:-“If you do not act up to my words, O best among men,

I shall slay you along with your ministers;" he said thus to me again and again with eyes expanded with anger.

I again and again entreated that best among the Bhrigu race with sweet words, O chastiser among foes, but could not calm him down.

I then bowing my head to him said again to the best among the Brahmanas; "What is the reason of your proclaiming war with me?

In my childhood had you taught me the use of four kinds of arms, and I am thus your pupil, O you of Bhrigu race."

Then did Rama say to me with eyes red with anger, “You know me to be your preceptor, O Bhishma, and yet you will not accept this lady,

The daughter of the king of the Kashis for my gratification, O son of Kuru, endued with great intelligence. There is no other way of gratifying me, O delighter of Kuru's race.

Accept this lady, O you of long arms, and perpetuate your family. Being severed from the path of rectitude by yourself she gets no husband."

I said to Rama, the conqueror of hostile cites who was speaking thus: “This will not be, O regenerate Rishi, what is the use of labouring towards it.

O son of Jamadagni, considering that you were my preceptor in days of old I sought to gratify you before, my lord.

Who will permit a woman, who sighs for another and who is therefore like a poisonous snake, to remain in his house knowing the great evils thereof.

O you of great vows, I shall not for fear of Vasava even forsake my duties; either be gratified with me or do what you please without loss of time.

My lord of pure heart, even this Sloka is heard in the Puranas, sung by Maruta endued with a large soul.

The abandonment of a preceptor is provided when he is vain or has swerved from the right path or who does not know what his duties are.

I respected you very much so long because you were my preceptor; but since you do not know the duties of a preceptor, therefore shall I fight with you.

I shall not slay a preceptor in battle, especially as he is a Brahmana and you have been forgiven by me since you are old in devotion.

One, who seeing a Brahmana, ready to fight like a friend of the Kshatriyas, wrathfully slays him who flies not from the fled,

Is not guilty of slaying a Brahmana, such has been authoritatively laid down in the holy books, O you whose only wealth is asceticism, I am a Kshatriya observing the duties of my order.

Such a one as myself who treats such according to his merit does not act unrighteously and does not come by evils.

When one, able to discriminate the propriety of time and place and knowing both virtue and worldly good, is doubtful of his course, he should without hesitation do that which is virtuous.

Since you act unrighteously towards me in a matter connected with profit, I shall certainly fight with you in a great battle.

Behold the strength of my arms and superhuman prowess and what I am capable of, under such circumstances.

I shall do what I can and O regenerate one, I shall fight with you in Kurukshetra; and since you are desirous to fight, be prepared for battle.

Go, O you who are fond of war, and return to the field of Kurukshetra and I shall go there to fight with you, O you whose only wealth is devotion.

Being slain by a hundred arrows shot by me, you will obtain those regions earned by your asceticism, being sanctified by my weapons in the battle.

Where in days of days of old, you sanctified the name of your fathers, even there shall I sanctify you, O you of Bhrigu's race.

Therefore come there quickly, O you who are hard to vanquish in battle and I shall destroy your boast of days of old, which is even now referred to by Brahmanas,

The boast that you have indulged in for a long time past, namely the entire body of Kshatriyas have been conquered by me alone, listen to the cause thereof.

At that time Bhishma was not born not even a Kshatriya like myself, energetic beings were created afterwards, you consumed only straw.

He, who will remove your boasts of velour and desire for war, is now born. He is myself, Bhishma, the subjugator of hostile cities and I shall destroy your pride in battle. There is no doubt about it.

Bhishma said Then did Rama say to me with a laugh, O Bharata:-It is fortunate, O Bhishma that you want to fight with me in battle.

I shall now go, O son of Kuru, to Kurukshetra with you. I shall do what you say. Go there, O chastiser of foes.

There will your mother Jahnavi see yourself slain by my hundred arrows, O Bhishma, and be made the food of vultures and other birds of prey.

O ruler of the earth, let your mothe worshipped by Siddhas and Charanas seeing yourself slain by me, weep today.

Your mother of great parts, the daughter of Bhagiratha that gave birth to you, fool that you are, and affected by the desire of fight, is however undeserving of such a sight.

Come and let us go together, O Bhishma, who are hard to vanquish in battle and desirous of war; take, O son of Kuru, your chariots etc. O foremost among the Bharatas,

To Rama the conquered of enemies towns who thus said then I bowed my head and said "Be it so."

Rama, saying this, went to Kurukshetra with the desire of war and I too entering the city submitted every thing to Satyavati.

Then after performing propitiatory rites and being blessed by my mother and asking the twice born to bless me,

I mounted a beautiful chariot made of silver and drawn by white horses, beautiful to look at, furnished with good seats, and covered with tiger skins.

It was also furnished with great weapons and all other necessary things and guided by a charioteer of good birth well versed in the art of the management of horses,

Careful and well trained in battle and who had seen many deeds of bravery. I too, with my body covered with a white coat of mail,

And taking a white bow, went out, O best among the Bharatas with a white umbrella held over my head.

I was also fanned by white fans, O ruler of men. I was clad with white garments, white head dress and all my ornaments were white.

I went out of the city called after the elephant, being eulogized with prayers for my victory and approached the site of battle namely Kurukshetra.

Those horses fleet as the mind or the wind, urged by that charioteer, took me, O king, to the great battle.

Myself as also that Rama endued with luster having reached Kurukshetra was each desirous of showing our prowess.

Coming within the sight of that excellent ascetic Rama, I took my good conch and loudly blew it.

At the time, O king, there were ascetics and other dwellers of the forest as well as groups of gods with Indra at their head to see that fight.

There were seen at the time divine garlands and divine music and masses of clouds.

Then did all the devotees, the followers of the scion of Bhrigu's race, become the spectators and surround us.

Then did my divine mother, doing good to all creatures, in her own form say to me, O king, "what is this desired by you?

O supporter of the Kuru race, going to the son of Jamadagni I shall beg of him again and again saying: Do not fight with Bhishma.

Do not, my son fight thus with a Brahmana, O ruler of the earth, do not fight with the son of Jamadagni;" it was thus that she reproved me.

He has strength similar to that of Hara and he is the exterminator of the Kshatriya race, Rama with whom you desire to fight is well known to you.

Then did I say to that goddess after bowing to her and clasping my hands all that had happened in the election of husband, O foremost among the Bharatas.

I told her also the way Rama had been spoken to by me, O chief among kings, and the old doings of the daughter of the king of the Kashis.

Then my mother, the great river, going to Rama and trying to entreat that Rishi, that scion of Bhrigu's race for my sake,

Said these words: “Do not fight with Bhishma for he is your pupil” and he too said to her who was beseeching him. “Turn back the purpose of Bhishma. I am here because he does not perform what I desire."

Vaishampayana said Then did Ganga, out of affection for her son, come again to Bhishma but he with eyes expanded with wrath did not attend to her words.

Then did the great devotee of virtuous soul, the foremost of the race of Bhrigu present himself to his view and that best among the twice born summoned him to fight.