संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
वसवः देवाः तां ऊचुः महानदि अल्पे अपराधे महात्मना वसिष्ठेन संरम्भात् शप्ताः स्मःvasavaḥ devāḥ tāṃ ūcuḥ mahānadi alpe aparādhe mahātmanā vasiṣṭhena saṃrambhāt śaptāḥ smaḥthe Vasu gods said to her: O great river, for a small offense we have been cursed in anger by the great sage Vasishtha
वयं सर्वे विमूढाः संध्यां प्रच्छन्नं आसीनं ऋषिसत्तमं वसिष्ठं पुरा अत्यभिसृताःvayaṃ sarve vimūḍhāḥ saṃdhyāṃ pracchannaṃ āsīnaṃ ṛṣisattamaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ purā atyabhisṛtāḥall of us, in our confusion, once passed by Vasishtha, the best of sages, unseen and hidden as he performed his twilight worship, and slighted him
तेन कोपात् वयं योनौ संभवत इति शप्ताः ब्रह्मवादिना यत् उक्तं अन्यथा कर्तुं न शक्यंtena kopāt vayaṃ yonau saṃbhavata iti śaptāḥ brahmavādinā yat uktaṃ anyathā kartuṃ na śakyaṃin his wrath he cursed us, saying: 'be born in a womb'; what is spoken by a proclaimer of Brahman cannot be undone
तस्मात् त्वं मानुषी भूत्वा भुवि वसून् पुत्रान् सूष्व वयं अशुभं मानुषीणां जठरं न प्रविशेमtasmāt tvaṃ mānuṣī bhūtvā bhuvi vasūn putrān sūṣva vayaṃ aśubhaṃ mānuṣīṇāṃ jaṭharaṃ na praviśematherefore, becoming a human wife, bear us, the Vasus, on earth as your sons; for we do not wish to enter the impure womb of ordinary mortal women
इति उक्ता गङ्गा तान् वसून् तथा इति उक्त्वा इदं अब्रवीत् मर्त्येषु वः कः पुरुषश्रेष्ठः कर्ता भविष्यतिiti uktā gaṅgā tān vasūn tathā iti uktvā idaṃ abravīt martyeṣu vaḥ kaḥ puruṣaśreṣṭhaḥ kartā bhaviṣyatithus addressed, Ganga, having said to the Vasus 'so be it,' spoke further: who among mortals, best of men, shall be your father?
वसवः ऊचुः प्रतीपस्य सुतः धार्मिकः शंतनुः नाम राजा मानुषे लोके भविता सः नः कर्ता भविष्यतिvasavaḥ ūcuḥ pratīpasya sutaḥ dhārmikaḥ śaṃtanuḥ nāma rājā mānuṣe loke bhavitā saḥ naḥ kartā bhaviṣyatithe Vasus said: the son of Pratipa, the righteous king named Shantanu, will appear in the world of men; he shall be our father
गङ्गा उवाच अनघाः देवाः यथा अवदत मम अपि एवं मतं तस्य प्रियं करिष्यामि एतत् युष्माकं ईप्सितं चgaṅgā uvāca anaghāḥ devāḥ yathā avadata mama api evaṃ mataṃ tasya priyaṃ kariṣyāmi etat yuṣmākaṃ īpsitaṃ caGanga said: O sinless gods, as you have said, such is my intention as well; I shall do what pleases him, and this is what you desire
वसवः ऊचुः त्रिलोकगे जातान् स्वान् कुमारान् अप्सु प्रक्षेप्तुं त्वम् अर्हसि यथा नचिरकालं नः निष्कृतिः स्यात्vasavaḥ ūcuḥ trilokage jātān svān kumārān apsu prakṣeptuṃ tvam arhasi yathā nacirakālaṃ naḥ niṣkṛtiḥ syātthe Vasus said: O you who flow through the three worlds, cast into the waters our sons as soon as they are born, so that in a short time we may be freed from this curse
गङ्गा उवाच एवम् एतत् करिष्यामि तस्य पुत्रः [एको] विधीयताम् अस्य मया सह पुत्रहेतोः संगमः मोघः न स्यात्gaṅgā uvāca evam etat kariṣyāmi tasya putraḥ [eko] vidhīyatām asya mayā saha putrahetoḥ saṃgamaḥ moghaḥ na syātGanga said: so I shall do; but let one son be allotted to him, so that his union with me for the sake of offspring may not be in vain
वसवः ऊचुः वयं एकैकशः वीर्यस्य तुरीयार्धं प्रदास्यामः तेन वीर्येण ते [एकः] पुत्रः तस्य च ईप्सितः भविताvasavaḥ ūcuḥ vayaṃ ekaikaśaḥ vīryasya turīyārdhaṃ pradāsyāmaḥ tena vīryeṇa te [ekaḥ] putraḥ tasya ca īpsitaḥ bhavitāthe Vasus said: each of us shall give an eighth part of his own vigor; by that vigor a son shall be born to you, and he shall be desired by Shantanu
तस्य तु मर्त्येषु पुनः संततिः न संपत्स्यति तस्मात् ते अपुत्रः सः वीर्यवान् पुत्रः भविष्यतिtasya tu martyeṣu punaḥ saṃtatiḥ na saṃpatsyati tasmāt te aputraḥ saḥ vīryavān putraḥ bhaviṣyatibut among mortals he shall have no offspring; therefore your son shall be childless, yet mighty
वैशंपायनः उवाच एवं वसवः गङ्गया सह समयं कृत्वा प्रहृष्टमनसः यथासंकल्पं अञ्जसा जग्मुःvaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca evaṃ vasavaḥ gaṅgayā saha samayaṃ kṛtvā prahṛṣṭamanasaḥ yathāsaṃkalpaṃ añjasā jagmuḥVaishampayana said: thus the Vasus, having made this pact with Ganga, departed at once, their hearts rejoicing, according to their design
ताम्tāmoriginal form "tām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऊचुर्ūcuroriginal form "ūcur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वसवोvasavooriginal form "vasavo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्मोsmooriginal form "smo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपराधे'parādheoriginal form "'parādhe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संरम्भाद्saṃrambhādoriginal form "saṃrambhād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विमूढाvimūḍhāoriginal form "vimūḍhā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form "hi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रच्छन्नम्pracchannamoriginal form "pracchannam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋषिसत्तमम्ṛṣisattamamoriginal form "ṛṣisattamam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वसिष्ठम्vasiṣṭhamoriginal form "vasiṣṭham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तम्tamoriginal form "tam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कोपाद्kopādoriginal form "kopād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शप्ताśaptāoriginal form "śaptā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संभवतेतिsaṃbhavatetioriginal form "saṃbhavateti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हhaoriginal form "ha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शक्यम्śakyamoriginal form "śakyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form "yad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्मान्tasmānoriginal form "tasmān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रविशेमाशुभंpraviśemāśubhaṃoriginal form "praviśemāśubhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयम्vayamoriginal form "vayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इत्य्ityoriginal form "ity", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथेत्य्tathetyoriginal form "tathety", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्त्वाब्रवीद्uktvābravīdoriginal form "uktvābravīd", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदम्idamoriginal form "idam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कोkooriginal form "ko", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वसवvasavaoriginal form "vasava", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुतोsutooriginal form "suto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शंतनुर्śaṃtanuroriginal form "śaṃtanur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गङ्गोवाचgaṅgovācaoriginal form "gaṅgovāca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममाप्य्mamāpyoriginal form "mamāpy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवाdevāoriginal form "devā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथावदतyathāvadataoriginal form "yathāvadata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मानघाःmānaghāḥoriginal form "mānaghāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैतद्caitadoriginal form "caitad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ईप्शितम्īpśitamoriginal form "īpśitam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वसवvasavaoriginal form "vasava", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नोnooriginal form "no", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गङ्गोवाचgaṅgovācaoriginal form "gaṅgovāca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रस्putrasoriginal form "putras", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नास्यnāsyaoriginal form "nāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रहेतोर्putrahetororiginal form "putrahetor", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वसवvasavaoriginal form "vasava", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रदास्यामोpradāsyāmooriginal form "pradāsyāmo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वीर्यस्यैकैकशोvīryasyaikaikaśooriginal form "vīryasyaikaikaśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयम्vayamoriginal form "vayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रस्putrasoriginal form "putras", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेप्सितःcepsitaḥoriginal form "cepsitaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनस्punasoriginal form "punas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माद्tasmādoriginal form "tasmād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुत्रस्putrasoriginal form "putras", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेteoriginal form "te", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रहृष्टमनसोprahṛṣṭamanasooriginal form "prahṛṣṭamanaso", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथासंकल्पम्yathāsaṃkalpamoriginal form "yathāsaṃkalpam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here is revealed the secret of Bhishma's birth -- and, through the curse of the Vasus, his destiny. Telling is the reason for the Vasus' curse: they 'passed by, unnoticing, slighting Vasishtha, who was hidden in his twilight worship.' Here is a stern lesson on reverence for sages: even gods, the Vasus, disrespecting -- if only through ignorance -- a sage absorbed in prayer, bring upon themselves a curse: birth among mortals. Even unwitting neglect of a holy man carries grave weight. Telling too is that the word of a sage cannot be revoked -- 'what is spoken by a proclaimer of Brahman cannot be undone': the power of truthful speech (satya) is invincible. And -- sorrowful yet providential -- the pact that Ganga will cast her newborn sons into the waters, so as to free the Vasus swiftly from earthly life: what seems to Shantanu, and to us, an act of cruelty -- the killing of children -- is in truth a mercy, the release of cursed gods. Here lies a deep lesson: some deeds that appear evil may, on a higher plane, be good; one must not judge by outward appearance. And at the center of it all stands Bhishma -- the eighth Vasu, Dyu -- born of a portion of the strength of all the Vasus, he is mighty, yet 'childless,' whence his vow of celibacy. Thus already in this prelude both Bhishma's might and his solitary, childless fate are foreordained -- the fate of a great and righteous man who sacrifices himself for the sake of his lineage.