संजय उवाच
पुण्यं श्रुत्वैतद् आख्यानं महाराज सुतस् तव ॥
केशवं बहु मेने स पाण्डवांश् च महारथान् ॥
तम् अब्रवीन् महाराज भीष्मः शांतनवः पुनः ॥
माहात्म्यं ते श्रुतं राजन् केशवस्य महात्मनः ॥
नरस्य च यथातत्त्वं यन् मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि ॥
यदर्थं नृषु संभूतौ नरनारायणाव् उभौ ॥
अवध्यौ च यथा वीरौ संयुगेष्व् अपराजितौ ॥
यथा च पाण्डवा राजन्न् अगम्या युधि कस्य चित् ॥
प्रीतिमान् हि दृढं कृष्णः पाण्डवेषु यशस्विषु ॥
तस्माद् ब्रवीमि राजेन्द्र शमो भवतु पाण्डवैः ॥
पृथिवीं भुङ्क्ष्व सहितो भ्रातृभिर् बलिभिर् वशी ॥
नरनारायणौ देवाव् अवज्ञाय नशिष्यसि ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा तव पिता तूष्णीम् आसीद् विशां पते ॥
व्यसर्जयच् च राजानं शयनं च विवेश ह ॥
राजापि शिबिरं प्रायात् प्रणिपत्य महात्मने ॥
शिश्ये च शयने शुभ्रे तां रात्रिं भरतर्षभ ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
puṇyaṃ śrutvaitad ākhyānaṃ mahārāja sutas tava ||
keśavaṃ bahu mene sa pāṇḍavāṃś ca mahārathān ||
tam abravīn mahārāja bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavaḥ punaḥ ||
māhātmyaṃ te śrutaṃ rājan keśavasya mahātmanaḥ ||
narasya ca yathātattvaṃ yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi ||
yadarthaṃ nṛṣu saṃbhūtau naranārāyaṇāv ubhau ||
avadhyau ca yathā vīrau saṃyugeṣv aparājitau ||
yathā ca pāṇḍavā rājann agamyā yudhi kasya cit ||
prītimān hi dṛḍhaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍaveṣu yaśasviṣu ||
tasmād bravīmi rājendra śamo bhavatu pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
pṛthivīṃ bhuṅkṣva sahito bhrātṛbhir balibhir vaśī ||
naranārāyaṇau devāv avajñāya naśiṣyasi ||
evam uktvā tava pitā tūṣṇīm āsīd viśāṃ pate ||
vyasarjayac ca rājānaṃ śayanaṃ ca viveśa ha ||
rājāpi śibiraṃ prāyāt praṇipatya mahātmane ||
śiśye ca śayane śubhre tāṃ rātriṃ bharatarṣabha ||
Sanjaya said: 'Having heard this sacred narrative, great king, your son came to hold Keshava and the Pandava great chariot-warriors in high regard. Then Bhishma, son of Shantanu, spoke to him again, great king: "You have heard of the greatness of the magnanimous Keshava, and the truth about Nara that you asked me — why Nara and Narayana, both of them, were born among men, why these heroes are invulnerable and unconquered in battle, and why the Pandavas, O king, cannot be overcome by anyone in combat. Krishna is firmly devoted to the illustrious Pandavas. Therefore I tell you, lord of kings: let there be peace with the Pandavas. Enjoy the earth together with your powerful brothers, and rule with self-control; if you scorn the two gods, Nara and Narayana, you will perish." Having spoken thus, your father fell silent, lord of the people, dismissed the king, and went to his bed. And the king, having bowed to the great-souled one, also went to his own camp and that night, O bull of the Bharatas, lay down upon a splendid bed.'
ed5a749057f9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:35:52 PM UTC
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Even after this theological revelation, Bhishma returns to a practical conclusion: peace with the Pandavas is still possible. But the warning is stated with utmost clarity — contempt for Nara and Narayana leads to destruction.