' Thus
addressed by her son endued wealth of energy, Satyavati said unto Bhishma,
'O thou whose prowess is truth, I know of thy firmness in truth. Thou
canst, if so minded, create, by the help of thy energy, three worlds other
than those that exist. I know what thy vow was on my account. But
considering this emergency, bear thou the burden of the duty that one
oweth to his ancestors. O punisher of foes, act in such a way that the
lineal link may not be broken and our friends and relatives may not
grieve.' Thus urged by the miserable and weeping Satyavati speaking such
words inconsistent with virtue from grief at the loss of her son, Bhishma
addressed her again and said, 'O Queen, turn not thy eyes away from virtue.
O, destroy us not. Breach of truth by a Kshatriya is never applauded in
our treatises on religion. I shall soon tell thee, O Queen, what the
established Kshatriya usage is to which recourse may be had to prevent
Santanu's line becoming extinct on earth. Hearing me, reflect on what
should be done in consultation with learned priests and those that are
acquainted with practices allowable in times of emergency and distress,
forgetting not at the same time what the ordinary course of social conduct
is.'"
SECTION CIV
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Bhishma continued, 'In olden days, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, in anger
at the death of his father, slew with his battle axe the king of the
Haihayas. And Rama, by cutting off the thousand arms of Arjuna (the
Haihaya king), achieved a most difficult feat in the world.
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