भीष्मस् तु वेदनां धैर्यान् निगृह्य भरतर्षभ ॥
अभितप्तः शरैश् चैव नातिहृष्टमनाब्रवीत् ॥
शराभितप्तकायो ऽहं शरसंतापमूर्छितः ॥
पानीयम् अभिकाङ्क्षे ऽहं राज्ञस् तान् प्रत्यभाषत ॥
ततस् ते क्षत्रिया राजन् समाजह्रुः समन्ततः ॥
भक्ष्यान् उच्चावचांस् तत्र वारिकुम्भांश् च शीतलान् ॥
उपनीतं च तद् दृष्ट्वा भीष्मः शांतनवो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
नाद्य तात मया शक्यं भोगान् कांश् चन मानुषान् ॥
उपभोक्तुं मनुष्येभ्यः शरशय्यागतो ह्य् अहम् ॥
प्रतीक्षमाणस् तिष्ठामि निवृत्तिं शशिसूर्ययोः ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा शांतनवो दीनवाक् सर्वपार्थिवान् ॥
धनंजयं महाबाहुम् अभ्यभाषत भारत ॥
अथोपेत्य महाबाहुर् अभिवाद्य पितामहम् ॥
अतिष्ठत् प्राञ्जलिः प्रह्वः किं करोमीति चाब्रवीत् ॥
तं दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवं राजन्न् अभिवाद्याग्रतः स्थितम् ॥
अभ्यभाषत धर्मात्मा भीष्मः प्रीतो धनंजयम् ॥
दह्यते ऽदः शरीरं मे संस्यूतो ऽस्मि महेषुभिः ॥
मर्माणि परिदूयन्ते वदनं मम शुष्यति ॥
ह्लादनार्थं शरीरस्य प्रयच्छापो ममार्जुन ॥
त्वं हि शक्तो महेष्वास दातुम् अम्भो यथाविधि ॥
bhīṣmas tu vedanāṃ dhairyān nigṛhya bharatarṣabha ||
abhitaptaḥ śaraiś caiva nātihṛṣṭamanābravīt ||
śarābhitaptakāyo 'haṃ śarasaṃtāpamūrchitaḥ ||
pānīyam abhikāṅkṣe 'haṃ rājñas tān pratyabhāṣata ||
tatas te kṣatriyā rājan samājahruḥ samantataḥ ||
bhakṣyān uccāvacāṃs tatra vārikumbhāṃś ca śītalān ||
upanītaṃ ca tad dṛṣṭvā bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavo 'bravīt ||
nādya tāta mayā śakyaṃ bhogān kāṃś cana mānuṣān ||
upabhoktuṃ manuṣyebhyaḥ śaraśayyāgato hy aham ||
pratīkṣamāṇas tiṣṭhāmi nivṛttiṃ śaśisūryayoḥ ||
evam uktvā śāṃtanavo dīnavāk sarvapārthivān ||
dhanaṃjayaṃ mahābāhum abhyabhāṣata bhārata ||
athopetya mahābāhur abhivādya pitāmaham ||
atiṣṭhat prāñjaliḥ prahvaḥ kiṃ karomīti cābravīt ||
taṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavaṃ rājann abhivādyāgrataḥ sthitam ||
abhyabhāṣata dharmātmā bhīṣmaḥ prīto dhanaṃjayam ||
dahyate 'daḥ śarīraṃ me saṃsyūto 'smi maheṣubhiḥ ||
marmāṇi paridūyante vadanaṃ mama śuṣyati ||
hlādanārthaṃ śarīrasya prayacchāpo mamārjuna ||
tvaṃ hi śakto maheṣvāsa dātum ambho yathāvidhi ||
Bhishma, however, restraining his pain with fortitude, O bull of the Bharatas, tormented by arrows, spoke without cheer: "My body is burned by arrows; I am weakened by their scorching torment. I long for water." So he spoke to those kings. Then the kshatriyas, O king, gathered from every side various foods and cool jars of water. Seeing what had been brought, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, said: "Today, child, I cannot partake of any human pleasures at the hands of men, for I have come to a bed of arrows and wait for the turning of the moon and the sun." Having said this to all the kings in a sorrowful voice, the son of Shantanu addressed the great-armed Dhananjaya, O Bharata. Then the great-armed Arjuna came forward, bowed to his grandfather, and stood before him with joined palms, humbly, saying, "What shall I do?" Seeing the Pandava standing before him, having bowed, the righteous-souled Bhishma spoke with pleasure to Dhananjaya: "This body of mine burns; I am pierced through with great arrows, my vital points ache, and my mouth is parched. For the relief of my body, give me water, Arjuna. For you, mighty archer, are able to offer water in the proper way."
69d731aed7a5 · published Jul 17, 2026, 10:03:51 PM UTC
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Bhishma refuses the ordinary offerings of men: his state no longer belongs to the common order of pleasure and pain. He asks for water specifically from Arjuna, for he sees in him not merely a warrior but one who carries out right action.