Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section XIII

Vaisampayana said,—"Possessing a knowledge of the past, the present and the future, and seeing all things as if present before his eyes, the learned son of Gavalgana, O Bharata, coming quickly from the field of battle, and rushing with grief (into the court) represented unto Dhritarashtra who was plunged in thought that Bhishma the grandsire of the Bharatas had been slain."

"Sanjaya said,—

'I am Sanjaya, O great king. I bow to you, O bull of Bharata’s race. Bhishma, the son of Santanu and the grandsire of the Bharatas, has been slain. That foremost of all warriors, that grandsire of the Bharatas, has been slain. That foremost of all warriors, that embodied energy of all bowmen, that grandsire of the Kurus lies to-day on a bed of arrows. That Bhishma. O king, relying on whose energy your son had been engaged in that match at dice, now lies on the field of battle slain by Sikhandin. That mighty car-warrior who on a single car had vanquished in terrific combat at the city of Kasi all the kings of the Earth mustered together, he who had fearlessly fought in battle with Rama, the son of Jamadagni, he whom Jamadagni’s son could not slay, oh, even has he been to-day slain by Sikhandin.

Resembling the great Indra himself in bravery, and Himavat in firmness, like unto the ocean itself in gravity, and the Earth herself in patience, that invincible warrior having arrows for his teeth, that bow for his mouth, and the sword for his tongue, that lion among men, has to-day been slain by the prince of Pancala. That slayer of heroes, beholding whom when addrest for battle the mighty army of the Pandavas, unmanned by fear, used to tremble like a herd of kine when beholding a lion, alas, having protected that army (of thine) for ten nights and having achieved feats exceedingly difficult of accomplishment, has set like the Sun.[1] He who like Sakra himself, scattering arrows in thousands with the utmost composure, daily slew ten thousand warriors for ten days, even he slain (by the enemy), lies, though he deserves it not, on the bare ground like a (mighty) tree broken by the wind, in consequence, O king, of your evil counsels, O Bharata.'"

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The last word in the first line of the 11th sloka, in the Bengal texts, is 'Pravriha.' In the Bombay edition it is 'Anikaha.' The difference in meaning is immaterial.

Conclusion:

This concludes Section XIII of Book 6 (Bhishma Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 6 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section XIII of Book 6 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Bharata, Bhishma, Bharatas, Sikhandin, Jamadagni, Sanjaya; since these occur the most in Book 6, Section XIII. There are a total of 18 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 30 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section XIII of Book 6?

Section XIII is part of the Bhagavat-Gita Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 6 (Bhishma Parva). The Bhagavat-Gita Parva contains a total of 112 sections while Book 6 contains a total of 3 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section XIII as contained in Book 6?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section XIII of Book 6 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section XIII) is from 2012.

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