Skandha 1 - Yajur Veda Australasia - Resources

46 sorrow at, the death of all friends and relatives, and said:– 48. O Calamity! Look at thedeep-seated ignorance of the wicked afellow that I am! For the sake of this body which isgoing to be the food of jackals and vultures, I have caused the destruction of armies and thecountless men comprising them. 49. I am not going to be liberated from hell even afterthousands upon thousands of years of suffering there, the slayer as I am of children,Brāhmaṇas, friends, relatives, fathers, brothers, teachers and the like. 50. The dictum thatfor a ruling prince with the duty of protecting his subjects, slaying enemies in a righteouswar is not a sin — fails to convince me. 51. The tremendous suffering I have caused to thewomenfolk, whose relatives have met with death on account of me, is something thatcannot be atoned for by any rites which could be performed in a householder's life or bycharities or sacrifices. 52. Hardened dirt cannot wash away fluid dirt. The effect of a smallquantity of an intoxicant cannot be neutralised by drinking large quantities of it. So also thedeath you cause once in ignorance cannot be expiated by the deliberate slaughter of a verylarge number of living creatures in sacrificial rites.Skandha I : Chapter 9THE LIBERATION OF BHISHMADeparture to meet Bhishma (1-11)Suta said:– 1. Yudhiṣṭhira, distressed by an uneasy conscience due to the fear of havingbrought about great misery to his people, and anxious to have all his doubts regardingrighteous conduct cleared, now went to the spot at Kuruskṣetra, where Bhishma, otherwiseknown as Devavrata, had fallen in battle and was lying on a bed of arrows awaiting anauspicious moment to depart from his body. 2. He was followed by all his brothersmounted on their chariots with gold decorations and drawn by excellent horses, as also byholy Rishis like Vyāsa and Dhaumya. 3. O holy one! Bhagavan Kṛṣṇa with Arjuna alsofollowed King Yudhiṣṭhira, who, amidst all these, looked like Kubera, the lord of wealth,surrounded by his celestial following. 4. Seeing Bhishma lying there like a Deva fallenfrom the heavens, all the Pāṇḍavas, together with their following as well as Sri Kṛṣṇa,saluted him by making prostrations. 5. O best of men! Now there assembled to meetBhishma, the great leader of the Kurus, numerous Rishis from among the Devas andBrāhmaṇas, as also royal sages. 6-8. O Knower of the Vedas! Among those so assembledwere Parvata, Nārada, Dhaumya, the divine Badarayana, Brihadaswa, Bharadvaja,Parasurama with his disciples, Vasiṣṭha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gritsamada, Asita, Kakṣivan,Gautama, Atri, Visvamitra, Sudarsana, Sri Suka, Kasyapa, Angiras, and other sages, allaccompanied by their disciples. 9. Seeing all those distinguished persons assembled,Bhishma, who was one of the Vasus, who knew what virue is, and who was acquaintedwith the way of behaving according to place and time, verbally extended a warm welcometo them all. 10. He did homage to Kṛṣṇa whose powers he well understood and whom heknew to be none other than the Lord of all who had assumed a human form by Hismysterious power. He who was the resident of his heart was now standing before him inhuman form. 11. He saw the sons of Pāṇḍu seated before him in all humility and love, andaddressed them with eyes blinded with tears of affection.