संजय उवाच
ततो ऽब्रवीन् महाराज वार्ष्णेयः कुरुनन्दनम् ॥
रोचते मे महाबाहो सततं तव भाषितम् ॥
देवव्रतः कृती भीष्मः प्रेक्षितेनापि निर्दहेत् ॥
गम्यतां स वधोपायं प्रष्टुं सागरगासुतः ॥
वक्तुम् अर्हति सत्यं स त्वया पृष्टो विशेषतः ॥
ते वयं तत्र गच्छामः प्रष्टुं कुरुपितामहम् ॥
प्रणम्य शिरसा चैनं मन्त्रं पृच्छाम माधव ॥
स नो दास्यति यं मन्त्रं तेन योत्स्यामहे परान् ॥
एवं संमन्त्र्य वै वीराः पाण्डवाः पाण्डुपूर्वज ॥
जग्मुस् ते सहिताः सर्वे वासुदेवश् च वीर्यवान् ॥
विमुक्तशस्त्रकवचा भीष्मस्य सदनं प्रति ॥
प्रविश्य च तदा भीष्मं शिरोभिः प्रतिपेदिरे ॥
पूजयन्तो महाराज पाण्डवा भरतर्षभ ॥
प्रणम्य शिरसा चैनं भीष्मं शरणम् अन्वयुः ॥
तान् उवाच महाबाहुर् भीष्मः कुरुपितामहः ॥
स्वागतं तव वार्ष्णेय स्वागतं ते धनंजय ॥
स्वागतं धर्मपुत्राय भीमाय यमयोस् तथा ॥
किं कार्यं वः करोम्य् अद्य युष्मत्प्रीतिविवर्धनम् ॥
सर्वात्मना च कर्तास्मि यद्य् अपि स्यात् सुदुष्करम् ॥
तथा ब्रुवाणं गाङ्गेयं प्रीतियुक्तं पुनः पुनः ॥
उवाच वाक्यं दीनात्मा धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
tato 'bravīn mahārāja vārṣṇeyaḥ kurunandanam ||
rocate me mahābāho satataṃ tava bhāṣitam ||
devavrataḥ kṛtī bhīṣmaḥ prekṣitenāpi nirdahet ||
gamyatāṃ sa vadhopāyaṃ praṣṭuṃ sāgaragāsutaḥ ||
vaktum arhati satyaṃ sa tvayā pṛṣṭo viśeṣataḥ ||
te vayaṃ tatra gacchāmaḥ praṣṭuṃ kurupitāmaham ||
praṇamya śirasā cainaṃ mantraṃ pṛcchāma mādhava ||
sa no dāsyati yaṃ mantraṃ tena yotsyāmahe parān ||
evaṃ saṃmantrya vai vīrāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ pāṇḍupūrvaja ||
jagmus te sahitāḥ sarve vāsudevaś ca vīryavān ||
vimuktaśastrakavacā bhīṣmasya sadanaṃ prati ||
praviśya ca tadā bhīṣmaṃ śirobhiḥ pratipedire ||
pūjayanto mahārāja pāṇḍavā bharatarṣabha ||
praṇamya śirasā cainaṃ bhīṣmaṃ śaraṇam anvayuḥ ||
tān uvāca mahābāhur bhīṣmaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ ||
svāgataṃ tava vārṣṇeya svāgataṃ te dhanaṃjaya ||
svāgataṃ dharmaputrāya bhīmāya yamayos tathā ||
kiṃ kāryaṃ vaḥ karomy adya yuṣmatprītivivardhanam ||
sarvātmanā ca kartāsmi yady api syāt suduṣkaram ||
tathā bruvāṇaṃ gāṅgeyaṃ prītiyuktaṃ punaḥ punaḥ ||
uvāca vākyaṃ dīnātmā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Sanjaya said: 'Then Varshneya said to the son of Kuru, O great king: "Your words always please me, mighty-armed one. Devavrata, the accomplished Bhishma, could burn one to ashes with a mere glance. We must go to the son of Ganga and ask him about the means of his own defeat. If you especially are the one to ask him, he is bound to speak the truth. So let us go there to question the grandsire of the Kurus; having bowed our heads before him, we will learn his counsel, Madhava. Whatever instruction he gives us, by that we shall fight our enemies." Having thus taken counsel, the heroic Pandavas, descendants of Pandu, and the valiant Vasudeva all went together to Bhishma's dwelling, having laid aside their weapons and armor. Entering then before Bhishma, the Pandavas, O bull among the Bharatas, honoring him, bowed their heads before him; having bowed to him, they came to Bhishma as to a refuge. The mighty-armed Bhishma, grandsire of the Kurus, said to them: "Welcome to you, Varshneya; welcome to you, Dhananjaya; welcome to the son of Dharma, to Bhima, and to the twins as well. What shall I do for you today to increase your joy? I will do it with my whole being, even if it should prove exceedingly difficult." While the son of Ganga was speaking thus, again and again, full of affection, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, his soul heavy with grief, spoke these words.'
c74a9bf51944 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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The Pandavas come to Bhishma unarmed, as disciples and grandsons, not as enemies in the night. The scene shows that dharma here rests not only on victory, but on preserving respect even for the one they must overcome.