संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तथा उच्यमानः मात्रा च सुहृद्भिः च परंतपः प्रत्युवाच सः धर्मात्मा धर्म्यम् एव उत्तरं वचःtathā ucyamānaḥ mātrā ca suhṛdbhiḥ ca paraṃtapaḥ pratyuvāca saḥ dharmātmā dharmyam eva uttaraṃ vacaḥThus urged by his mother and his friends, the scorcher of foes, that righteous soul, replied with these words in accordance with dharma
असंशयं परः धर्मः त्वया मातः उदाहृतः त्वम् अपत्यं प्रति च मे प्रतिज्ञां वेत्थ वै पराम्asaṃśayaṃ paraḥ dharmaḥ tvayā mātaḥ udāhṛtaḥ tvam apatyaṃ prati ca me pratijñāṃ vettha vai parāmWithout doubt, O mother, you have declared the highest dharma; but you know my supreme vow concerning offspring
जानासि च यथावृत्तं शुल्कहेतोः त्वदन्तरे सः सत्यवति सत्यं ते प्रतिजानामि अहं पुनःjānāsi ca yathāvṛttaṃ śulkahetoḥ tvadantare saḥ satyavati satyaṃ te pratijānāmi ahaṃ punaḥand you know how it all came about because of the bride-price on your account; and, O Satyavati, I again swear the truth to you
परित्यजेयं त्रैलोक्यं राज्यं देवेषु वा पुनः यत् वा अपि अधिकं एताभ्यां न तु सत्यं कथंचनparityajeyaṃ trailokyaṃ rājyaṃ deveṣu vā punaḥ yat vā api adhikaṃ etābhyāṃ na tu satyaṃ kathaṃcanaI would renounce the three worlds, or sovereignty over the gods, or anything greater than these, but truth — never
त्यजेत् च पृथिवी गन्धं आपः च रसं आत्मनः ज्योतिः तथा त्यजेत् रूपं वायुः स्पर्शगुणं त्यजेत्tyajet ca pṛthivī gandhaṃ āpaḥ ca rasaṃ ātmanaḥ jyotiḥ tathā tyajet rūpaṃ vāyuḥ sparśaguṇaṃ tyajetlet the earth abandon its scent, and water its taste, let light likewise abandon its form, let wind abandon the quality of touch
प्रभां समुत्सृजेत् अर्कः धूमकेतुः तथा उष्णतां त्यजेत् शब्दं तथा आकाशः सोमः शीतांशुतां त्यजेत्prabhāṃ samutsṛjet arkaḥ dhūmaketuḥ tathā uṣṇatāṃ tyajet śabdaṃ tathā ākāśaḥ somaḥ śītāṃśutāṃ tyajetlet the sun cast off its radiance, let fire likewise abandon heat, let space abandon sound, let the moon abandon its cool radiance
विक्रमं वृत्रहा जह्यात् धर्मं जह्यात् च धर्मराट् न तु अहं सत्यम् उत्स्रष्टुं व्यवसेयं कथंचनvikramaṃ vṛtrahā jahyāt dharmaṃ jahyāt ca dharmarāṭ na tu ahaṃ satyam utsraṣṭuṃ vyavaseyaṃ kathaṃcanalet the slayer of Vritra (Indra) abandon his valor, and the king of dharma (Yama) abandon dharma, but I will never resolve to abandon truth
तथोच्यमानोtathocyamānooriginal form "tathocyamāno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुहृद्भिश्suhṛdbhiśoriginal form "suhṛdbhiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवोत्तरंevottaraṃoriginal form "evottaraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परोparooriginal form "paro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मस्dharmasoriginal form "dharmas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मातर्mātaroriginal form "mātar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुल्कहेतोस्śulkahetosoriginal form "śulkahetos", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रतिजानाम्य्pratijānāmyoriginal form "pratijānāmy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form "yad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाप्य्vāpyoriginal form "vāpy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अधिकम्adhikamoriginal form "adhikam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथंkathaṃoriginal form "kathaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चनcanaoriginal form "cana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्यजेच्tyajecoriginal form "tyajec", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गन्धम्gandhamoriginal form "gandham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आपश्āpaśoriginal form "āpaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रसम्rasamoriginal form "rasam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्योतिस्jyotisoriginal form "jyotis", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्यजेद्tyajedoriginal form "tyajed", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समुत्सृजेद्samutsṛjedoriginal form "samutsṛjed", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्कोarkooriginal form "arko", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धूमकेतुस्dhūmaketusoriginal form "dhūmaketus", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथोष्णताम्tathoṣṇatāmoriginal form "tathoṣṇatām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्यजेच्tyajecoriginal form "tyajec", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छब्दंchabdaṃoriginal form "chabdaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाकाशःtathākāśaḥoriginal form "tathākāśaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जह्याद्jahyādoriginal form "jahyād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जह्याच्jahyācoriginal form "jahyāc", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्व्tvoriginal form "tv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथंkathaṃoriginal form "kathaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चनcanaoriginal form "cana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here Bhishma reveals an unbreakable fidelity to his vow. His oaths sworn through impossibilities are telling: sooner would the earth lose its scent, water its taste, the sun its light, than he would depart from truth. This is the highest beauty of satya (truthfulness): for Bhishma, a given word is as inseparable from him as scent from earth, as heat from fire; to break it would mean ceasing to be himself. It is telling that he places truth above "the three worlds and sovereignty over the gods": fidelity to one's word is dearer than any power or any good. Truthfulness is shown here to be the foundation of all virtues and the support of world order: the world itself is upheld by truth, and the gods — the elements — keep their properties because they are faithful to their own nature; so too is the righteous man faithful to his word. And note: Bhishma does not dispute that niyoga is dharma; he refuses only because it would conflict with his personal vow — for him, the sanctity of a given oath outweighs even a righteous need. Thus the scripture raises satya to the height of the supreme dharma and shows in Bhishma its living embodiment — one whose name became the banner of unbreakable fidelity.