01096001a hate citrAGgade bhISmo bAle bhrAtari cAnagha 'O thou of kuru's race, after Chitrangada was slain, his successor vicitravIrya being a minor,
01096001c pAlayAmAsa tad rAjyaM satyavatyA mate sthitaH bhISma ruled the kingdom, placing himself under the command of satyavatI.
01096002a samMprAptayauvanamM pazyan bhrAtaranM dhImatAM varaH That foremost of intelligent men, bhISma, when he saw that his brother had attained youth,
01096002c bhISmo vicitravIryasya vivAhAyAkaron matim decided to find wives for him.
01096003a atha kAzipater bhISmaH kanyAs tisro 'psaraHsamAH At that time he heard that the three daughters of the king of kAzi, all equal in beauty to the apsarases themselves,
01096003c zuzrAva sahitA rAjan vRNvatIr vai svayaMvaram would be married on the same occasion, selecting their husbands at a self-choice ceremony.
01096004a tatasH sa rathinAM zreSTho rathenaikena varmabhRt Then that foremost of car-warriors, in a single chariot, wearing armor,
01096004c jagAmAnumate mAtuH purIM vArANasIM prati with the permission of satyavatI, went to the city of vArANasI.
01096005a tatra rAjJasH samuditAn sarvatasH samupAgatAn There bhISma, the son of santanu, saw innumerable monarchs that had come from all directions,
01096005c dadarza kanyAs tAz caiva bhISmazH zanMtanunandanaH and those three maidens.
01096006a kIrtyamAneSu rAjJAnM tu nAmasv atha sahasrazaH And when the (assembled) kings were each being mentioned by name,
01096006c bhISmasH svayanM tadA rAjan varayAmAsa tAH prabhuH bhISma chose those maidens (on behalf of his brother).
01096007a uvAca ca mahIpAlAn rAjaJ jaladanisHsvanaH And told the kings, O monarch, with a voice deep as the roar of the clouds,
01096007c ratham Aropya tAH kanyA bhISmaH praharatAM varaH after taking those girls upon his chariot, bhISma, that first of smiters in battle --
01096008a AhUya dAnaGM kanyAnAGM guNavadbhyasH smRtamM budhaiH 'The wise have directed that when an accomplished person has been invited, a maiden may be bestowed on him,
01096008c alaGMkRtya yathAzakti pradAya ca dhanAny api decked with ornaments and along with many valuable presents.
01096009a prayacchanty apare kanyAmM mithunena gavAm api Others again may bestow their daughters by accepting a couple of kine.
01096009c vittena kathitenAnye balenAnye 'numAnya ca Some again bestow their daughters by taking a fixed sum, and some take away maidens by force.
01096010a pramattAm upayAnty anye svayam anye ca vindate Some wed with the consent of the maidens, some by drugging them into consent, and some by going unto the maidens' parents and obtaining their sanction. Some again obtain wives as presents for assisting at sacrifices.
01096010c aSTamanM tam atho vitta vivAhaGM kavibhisH smRtam Of these, the learned always applaud the eighth form of marriage.
01096011a svayaMvaranM tu rAjanyAH prazaMsanty upayAnti ca Kings, however, speak highly of the svayaMvara (the fifth form as above) and themselves wed according to it.
01096011c pramathya tu hRtAm Ahur jyAyasInM dharmavAdinaH But the sages have said that, that wife is dearly to be prized who is taken away by force, after the slaughter of opponents, from amidst the concourse of princes and kings invited to a self-choice ceremony.
01096012a tA imAH pRthivIpAlA jihIrSAmi balAd itaH Therefore, ye monarchs, I bear away these maidens hence by force.
01096012c te yatadhvamM paraM zaktyA vijayAyetarAya vA Strive ye, to the best of your might, to vanquish me or to be vanquished. Ye monarchs,
01096012e sthito 'hamM pRthivIpAlA yuddhAya kRtanizcayaH I stand here resolved to fight!'
01096013a evam uktvA mahIpAlAn kAzirAjaJM ca vIryavAn thus addressing the assembled monarchs and the king of kAzi,
01096013c sarvAH kanyAH sa kauravyo ratham Aropayat svakam The kuru prince, endued with great energy, took upon his car those maidens.
01096013e Amantrya ca sa tAn prAyAc chIghraGM kanyAH pragRhya tAH And having taken them up, he sped his chariot away, challenging the invited kings to a fight.
01096014a tatas te pArthivAsH sarve samutpetur amarSitAH 'The challenged monarchs then all stood up,
01096014c saMspRzantasH svakAn bAhUn dazanto dazanacchadAn slapping their arms and biting their nether lips in wrath.
01096015a teSAm AbharaNAny Azu tvaritAnAM vimuJcatAm In a great hurry, they began to cast off their ornaments
01096015c AmuJcatAJM ca varmANi samMbhramasH sumahAn abhUt and put on their armour, and loud was the din produced.
01096016a tArANAm iva samMpAto babhUva janamejaya
01096016c bhUSaNAnAJM ca zubhrANAGM kavacAnAJM ca sarvazaH And the motion of their ornaments and armour, O janamejaya, brilliant as these were, resembled meteoric flashes in the sky.
