06117001a tatas te pArthivAsH sarve jagmusH svAn AlayAn punaH All those rulers of earth, there present, then returned to their respective quarters.
06117001c tUSNImMbhUte mahArAja bhISme zanMtanunandane After zantanu's son bhISma, O monarch, had become silent.
06117002a zrutvA tu nihatamM bhISmaM rAdheyaH puruSarSabhaH Hearing of bhISma's slaughter that bull among men, viz., rAdhA's son (karNa),
06117002c ISad AgatasanMtrAsaH tvarayopajagAma ha partially inspired with fear quickly approached.
06117003a sa dadarza mahAtmAnaM zaratalpagatanM tadA He beheld that illustrious hero lying on his bed of arrows,
06117003c janmazayyAgatanM devaGM kArttikeyam iva prabhum like Lord kArttikkeya in his birth-bed.
06117004a nimIlitAkSanM taM vIraM sAzrukaNThas tadA vRSaH Then vRSaka (karNa) endued with great glory, with voice choked in tears,
06117004c abhyetya pAdayos tasya nipapAta mahAdyutiH approaching that hero lying with eyes closed, fell at his feet.
06117005a rAdheyo 'haGM kuruzreSTha nityaJM cAkSigatas tava And he said,--O chief of the kurus, I am rAdhA's son, who while before thy eyes,
06117005c dveSyo 'tyantam anAgAsH sann iti cainam uvAca ha was everywhere looked upon by thee with hate! --
06117006a tac chrutvA kuruvRddhasH sa balAt saMvRttalocanaH Hearing these words, the aged chief of the kurus, the son of gaGgA, whose eyes were covered with film slowly raising his eyelids,
06117006c zanair udvIkSya sasneham idaM vacanam abravIt
06117007a rahitanM dhiSNyam Alokya samutsArya ca rakSiNaH and causing the guards to be removed, and seeing the place deserted by all,
06117007c piteva putraGM gAGgeyaH pariSvajyaikabAhunA embraced karNa with one arm, like a sire embracing his son, and said these words with great affection:
06117008a ehy ehi me vipratIpa spardhase tvamM mayA saha --Come, come! Thou art an opponent of mine who always challengest comparison with me!
06117008c yadi mAnM nAbhigacchethA na te zreyo bhaved dhruvam If thou hadst not come to me, without doubt, it would not have been well with thee!
06117009a kaunteyas tvanM na rAdheyo vidito nAradAn mama Thou art kuntI's son, not rAdhA's! Nor is Adhiratha thy father! O thou of mighty arms, I heard all this about thee from Narada
06117009c kRSNadvaipAyanAc caiva kezavAc ca na saMzayaH as also from vyAsa and kRSNa! Without doubt, all this is true!
06117010a na ca dveSo 'sti me tAta tvayi satyamM bravImi te I tell thee truly, O son, that I bear thee no malice!
06117010c tejovadhanimittanM tu paruSANy aham uktavAn It was only for abating thy energy that I used to say such harsh words to thee!
06117011a akasmAt pANDavAn hi tvanM dviSasIti matir mama O thou of excellent vows without any reason thou speakest ill of all the pANDavas!
06117011c yenAsi bahuzo rUkSaJM coditasH sUryanandana Sinfully didst thou come into the world. It is for this that thy heart hath been such. Through pride, and owning also to thy companionship with the low, thy heart hateth even persons of merit! It is for this that I spoke such harsh words about thee in the kuru camp!
06117012a jAnAmi samare vIryaM zatrubhir dusHsahanM tava I know thy prowess in battle, which can with difficulty be borne on earth by foes!
06117012c brahmaNyatAJM ca zauryaJM ca dAne ca paramAGM gatim I know also thy regard for brAhmaNas, thy courage, and thy great attachment to alms-giving!
06117013a na tvayA sadRzaH kaz cit puruSeSv amaropama O thou that resemblest a very god, amongst men there is none like thee!
06117013c kulabhedaJM ca matvAhaM sadA paruSam uktavAn For fear of intestine dissensions I always spoke harsh words about thee.
06117014a iSvastre bhArasanMdhAne lAghave 'strabale tathA In bowmanship, in aiming weapon, in lightness of hand and in strength of weapons,
06117014c sadRzaH phalgunenAsi kRSNena ca mahAtmanA thou art equal to phalguna himself, or the high-souled kRSNa!
06117015a karNa rAjapuraGM gatvA tvayaikena dhanuSmatA O karNa, proceeding to the city of Kasi, alone with thy bow,
06117015c tasyArthe kururAjasya rAjAno mRditA yudhi thou crushedest the kings in battle for procuring a bride for the kuru king!
06117016a tathA ca balavAn rAjA jarAsanMdho durAsadaH The mighty and invincible king jarAsandha also,
06117016c samare samarazlAghI tvayA na sadRzo 'bhavat ever boastful of his prowess in battle, could not become thy match in fight!
06117017a brahmaNyasH satyavAdI ca tejasArka ivAparaH Thou art devoted to brAhmaNas; thou always fightest fairly!
06117017c devagarbho 'jitasH saGMkhye manuSyair adhiko bhuvi In energy and strength, thou art equal to a child of the celestials and certainly much superior to men.
06117018a vyapanIto 'dya manyur me yas tvAmM prati purA kRtaH The wrath I cherished against thee is now gone.
06117018c daivamM puruSakAreNa na zakyam ativartitum Destiny is incapable of being avoided by exertion.
06117019a sodaryAH pANDavA vIrA bhrAtaras te 'risUdana O slayer of foes, the heroic sons of pANDu are thy uterine brothers!
06117019c saGMgaccha tair mahAbAho mama ced icchasi priyam If thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, unite with them, O thou of mighty arms!
06117020a mayA bhavatu nirvRttaM vairam Adityanandana O son of sUrya, let these hostilities end with me!
06117020c pRthivyAM sarvarAjAno bhavantv adya nirAmayAH Let all the kings of Earth be to-day freed from danger--
06117021 karNa uvAca ''karNa said
06117021a jAnAmy ahamM mahAprAjJa sarvam etan na saMzayaH I know all this, O thou of mighty arms! All this without doubt,
06117021c yathA vadasi durdharSa kaunteyo 'hanM na sUtajaH is as thou sayest, O, bhISma! I am kuntI's son, and not the son of a sUta!
06117022a avakIrNas tv ahaGM kuntyA sUtena ca vivardhitaH I was, however, abandoned by kuntI, and I have been reared by a sUta.
06117022c bhuktvA duryodhanaizvaryanM na mithyA kartum utsahe Having (so long) enjoyed the wealth of duryodhana, I dare not falsify it now. Like vAsudeva's son who is firmly resolved for the sake of the pANDavas, I also,
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06117023a vasu caiva zarIraJM ca yad udAranM tathA yazaH my possessions, my body itself, my children, and my wife,
06117023c sarvanM duryodhanasyArthe tyaktamM me bhUridakSiNa everything, am prepared to cast away for duryodhana's sake! O thou that makest profuse presents to brAhmaNas. Death from disease, O thou of kuru's race, doth not become a kSatriya!
06117023e kopitAH pANDavA nityaM mayAzritya suyodhanam Relying upon suyodhana I have always offended the pANDavas!
06117024a avazyabhAvI vai yo 'rtho na sa zakyo nivartitum This affairs is destined to take its course. It is incapable of being prevented.
06117024c daivamM puruSakAreNa ko nivartitum utsahet Who was there that would venture to overcome Destiny by exertion?
06117025a pRthivIkSayazaMsIni nimittAni pitAmaha Various omens indicating the destruction of the Earth. O grandsire,
06117025c bhavadbhir upalabdhAni kathitAni ca saMsadi were noticed by thee and declared in the assembly.
06117026a pANDavA vAsudevaz ca viditA mama sarvazaH It is well known to me that the son of pANDu, and vAsudeva,
06117026c ajeyAH puruSair anyair iti tAMz cotsahAmahe are incapable of being conquered by other men. Even with them we venture to fight! I will vanquish the son of pANDu in battle! Even this is my firm resolve! I am not capable, of casting off this fierce animosity (that I cherish against the pANDavas)! With a cheerful heart, and keeping the duties of my order before my eye, I will contend against dhanaJjaya.
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06117027a anujAnISva mAnM tAta yuddhe prItamanAsH sadA Firmly resolved that I am on battle, grant me thy permission, O hero!
06117027c anujJAtas tvayA vIra yudhyeyam iti me matiH I will fight. Even this is my wish.
06117028a duruktaM vipratIpaM vA saMrambhAc cApalAt tathA Also any harsh words that I may have at any time uttered against thee or any act that I may have done against thee from anger or inconsiderateness,
06117028c yan mayApakRtaGM kiJM cit tad anukSantum arhasi It behoveth thee to forgive me! -- '
06117029 bhISma uvAca ''bhISma said,--
06117029a na cec chakyam athotsraSTuM vairam etat sudAruNam If, indeed, thou art unable to cast off this fierce animosity,
06117029c anujAnAmi karNa tvAM yudhyasva svargakAmyayA I permit thee, O karNa! Fight, moved by the desire of heaven!
06117030a vimanyur gatasaMrambhaH kuru karma nRpasya hi Without anger and without vindictiveness, serve thou the king
06117030c yathAzakti yathotsAhaM satAM vRtteSu vRttavAn according to thy power and according to thy courage and observant of the conduct of the righteous!
06117031a ahanM tvAm anujAnAmi yad icchasi tad Apnuhi Have then my permission, O karNa! Obtain thou that which thou seekest!
06117031c kSatradharmajitAl~ lokAn samMprApsyasi na saMzayaH Through dhanaJjaya thou wilt obtain all those regions (hereafter) which are capable of being had by fulfilling the duties of a kSatriya!
06117032a yudhyasva nirahaGMkAro balavIryavyapAzrayaH Freed from pride, and relying on thy (own) might and energy, engage in battle,
06117032c dharmo hi yuddhAc chreyo 'nyat kSatriyasya na vidyate since a kSatriya cannot have a (source of) greater happiness than a righteous battle.
06117033a prazame hi kRto yatnasH sucirAt suciramM mayA For a long while I made great efforts for bringing about peace!
06117033c na caiva zakitaH kartuM yato dharmas tato jayaH But I succeeded not, O karNa, in the task! Truly do I say this unto thee--'
06117034 saJMjaya uvAca ''saJjaya continued,
06117034a evamM bruvantaGM gAGgeyam abhivAdya prasAdya ca --'After the son of gaGgA had said this, rAdhA's son (karNa) having saluted bhISma and obtained his forgiveness,
06117034c rAdheyo ratham Aruhya prAyAt tava sutamM prati got up on his car and proceeded towards (the quarters of) thy son.'