O Keshava, O Govinda, when Bhishma is my foe, it is preferable for me to entire into the forest and live there. It is wrong to sacrifice these rulers of earth to death in the person of Bhishma. Learned as he is in all weapons. O Krishna, he will annihilate my army.
आत्मनो बुद्धिदौर्बल्याद् भीष्ममासाद्य केशव। वनं यास्यामि वार्ष्णेय श्रेयो मे तत्र जीवितुम्॥ न त्वेतान् पृथिवीपालान् दातुं भीष्माय मृत्यवे। क्षपयिष्यति सेनां मे कृष्ण भीष्मो महास्त्रवित्॥