Chapter 55

“Vaisampayana said, ‘Endued with great energy, the delighter of the Kurus(viz., Bhishma), said, ‘I shall discourse on the subject of duty. Myspeech and mind have become steady, through thy grace, O Govinda, sincethou art the eternal soul of every being. Let the righteous-souledYudhishthira question me about morality and duty. I shall then be muchgratified and shall speak of all duties. Let the son of Pandu, that royalsage of virtuous and great soul, upon whose birth all the Vrishnis werefilled with joy, question me. Let the son of Pandu, who has no equalamong all the Kurus, among all persons of righteous behaviour, and amongmen of great celebrity, put questions to me. Let the son of Pandu, inwhom are intelligence, self-restraint, Brahmacharya, forgiveness,righteousness, mental vigour and energy, put questions to me. Let the sonof Pandu, who always by his good offices honours his relatives and guestsand servants and others that are dependent on him, put questions to me.Let the son of Pandu, in whom are truth and charity and penances,heroism, peacefulness, cleverness, and fearlessness, put questions to me.Let the righteous-souled son of Pandu, who would never commit a sininfluenced by desire of Pleasure or Profit or from fear put questions tome. Let the son of Pandu, who is ever devoted to truth, to forgiveness,to knowledge and to guests, and who always makes gifts unto therighteous, put questions to me. Let the son of Pandu, who is ever engagedin sacrifices and study of the Vedas and the practice of morality andduty who is ever peaceful and who has heard all mysteries, put questionsto me.’

“Vasudeva said, ‘King Yudhishthira the just, overcome with great shameand fearful of (thy) curse, does not venture to approach thee. That lordof earth, O monarch, having caused a great slaughter, ventures not toapproach thee from fear of (thy) curse. Having pierced with shafts thosethat deserved his worship, those that were devoted to him, those thatwere his preceptors, those that were his relatives and kinsmen and thosethat were worthy of his highest regard, he ventures not to approach thee.’

“Bhishma said, ‘As the duty of the Brahmanas consists of the practice ofcharity, study, and penances, so the duty of Kshatriyas is to cast awaytheir bodies, O Krishna, in battle. A Kshatriya should stay sires andgrandsires and brothers and preceptors and relatives and kinsmen that mayengage with him in unjust battle. This is their declared duty. ThatKshatriya, O Kesava, is said to be acquainted with his duty who slays inbattle his very preceptors if they happen to be sinful and covetous anddisregardful of restraints and vows. That Kshatriya is said to beacquainted with his duty who slays in battle the person that fromcovetousness disregards the eternal barriers of virtue.[160] ThatKshatriya is said to be acquainted with duty who in battle makes theearth a lake of blood, having the hair of slain warriors for the grassand straw floating on it, and having elephants for its rocks, andstandards for the trees on its banks. A Kshatriya, when challenged,should always fight in battle, since Manu has said that a righteousbattle (in the case of a Kshatriya) leads to both heaven and fame onearth.’

“Vaisampayana continued, ‘After Bhishma had spoken thus, Dharma’s sonYudhishthira, with great humility, approached the Kuru hero and stood inhis sight. He seized the feet of Bhishma who in return gladdened him withaffectionate words. Smelling his head, Bhishma asked Yudhishthira to takehis seat. Then Ganga’s son, that foremost of bowmen, addressedYudhishthira, saying, ‘Do not fear, O best of the Kurus! Ask me, O child,without any anxiety.'”