॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 2 September 2022 - Chapter 9 of the first skandha - Bhishma's advice to Yudhishthira and Bhishma's prayer to Krishna before leaving his body.
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A highly distressed Yudhishithira now proceeds to meet and get advice from the Kuru Pitamaha Bhishma. Bhishma is also called Devavrata, born as the son of Devi Ganga, and blessed with unconquerable prowess and the ability to choose when to leave his body. He has witnessed the rise and fall of the Kurus and this fratricidal war where he was helpless in taking the side of Duryodhana. Arjuna has managed to fell him down with so many arrows that he now lies on the battlefield, on a bed of arrows, awaiting an auspicious moment to leave his body.
Sri Krishna has decided to stay back and accompanies Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira now proceeds with a large following to Bhishma, looking resplendent like Kubera. The irony is all his kingdom and wealth does not cheer up Yudhishthira.
Several great celestial sages arrive to witness this moment. They include Vyasa, Narada, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Parashurama and so on. Even the gods are eagerly attending on this momentous visit of the Pandavas to the venerable Bhishma.
The description shows what a tragic hero Bhishma is. He never repents his life nor complains about this fate of lying on a bed of arrows. He is stoic and wise. No wonder Yudhishthira goes to him to get clarity in this moment of confusion.
Bhishma casts his eye and sees the Pandavas, rishis, and more than anyone else, Sri Krishna himself. He is delighted immeasurably. He greets reverentially all the sages. He shows extreme affection for the Pandavas, and his words are dipped in wisdom and devotion. This portion is also a very important part of Hindu scriptures.
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यत्र धर्मसुतो राजा गदापाणिर्वृकोदरः।
कृष्णोऽस्त्री गाण्डीवं चापं सुहृत्कृषणस्ततो विपत् ॥
न ह्यस्य कर्हिचिद्राजन् पुमान् वेद विधित्सितम्।
यद्विजिज्ञासया युक्ता मुह्यन्ति कवयोऽपि हि॥
तस्मादिदं देवतन्त्रं व्यवस्य भरतर्षभ।
तस्यानुविहितोऽनाथा नाथ पाहि प्रजाः प्रभो ॥
T: “Oh son, Yudhishthira, one can only marvel how such difficulties came to you Pandavas wave after wave, especially poor Queen Kunti who had to take care of her young boys after King Pandu’s death. Where there is upright Yudhishthira, the mace-wielding mighty Bhima, the ace archer Arjuna, and more than anything else, their dear well-wisher Krishna himself, one marvels how you had to undergo so many tribulations!”
“Oh King Yudhishthira, there is no way of knowing or explaining the ways of Destiny, even for the most learned and insightful ones who contemplate deeply on this.“
“Therefore I can only advise you to let the past be buried. You have a major responsibility now towards all the people who have been rendered helpless and leaderless. Please rule them and take care of their welfare as it is your bounden duty.”
Bhishma now cannot contain himself. He speaks words of glowing reverence for Sri Krishna.
एष भगवान् नारायणः मोहयन्मायया गूढश्चरति अस्यानुभावं वेद शिवः नारदः कपिलः
T:”This is the Supreme Lord Narayana Himself, who moves about disguised as Krishna, deluding all by his Maya! Only Lord Shiva, Sage Narada and Kapila Muni know his reality!”
यं मन्यसे मातुलेयं प्रियं मित्रं सुहृत्तमम्। अकरोः सचिवं दूतं सौहृदादथ सारथिम्॥
सर्वात्मनः समदृशो ह्यद्वयस्यानहङ्कृतेः। तत्कृतं मतिवैषम्यं निरवद्यस्य न क्वचित्॥
यन्मेऽसुंस्त्यजतः साक्षात्कृष्णो दर्शनमागतः। प्रसन्नहासारुणलोचनोल्लसन्मुखाम्बुजो ध्यानपथश्चतुर्भुजः॥
T:”Oh, Yudhishthira, whom you consider your cousin (Kunti was Vasudeva’s sister), a dear friend, the best among your well-wishers, whom you have used at times as your advisor, your messenger, your mediary with friends, and even as a charioteer; pause and think: He is the Supersoul of all, equal in vision to all, who has no ego at all, whose deeds are never tainted or ill-conceived ever! How great indeed is my wonderful fortune that at my moment of death, Sri Krishna verily has come to me, in his most delightful, smiling, way, his joyous eyes casting glances that remind me of the tender rising sun, with his lotus-like face, too! He is giving me that most supreme vision of the four-armed Bhagavan Maha Vishnu that is granted to anyone normally only in the deepest meditation!”
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Yudhishthira has come to resolve his mental conflicts and seek clarity. Bhishma gladly discourses to him on the duties of the citizenry of different classes and competencies, what is the Dharma of the charity-giver, ruler, womenfolk, devotees pursuing Bhakti, those seeking liberation from this world, and so on. He comprehensively clarifies duties and responsibilities and puts at rest Yudhishthira’s doubts and questions.
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The sacred moment has come. It is Uttarayana, the Sun is moving to the northern hemisphere, and this part of the year is deemed to be auspicious for leaving the body.
Bhishma now gushes in prayer to Sri Krishna, holding nothing back. Let us remember that he is the son of Ganga, called Devavrata (godly in conduct), who placed his own commitment to his father above all else, who never took the throne but served the throne conscientiously for three generations, who battled hard when needed, who was egoless, who found himself on the wrong side of Dharma and therefore had to face this situation of lying on a bed of arrows.
Bhishma now knows his time has come. He no longer feels any pain from the arrows. He sees Maha Vishnu as Sri Krishna. He prays to Sri Krishna in several verses. They are extremely beautiful in poetic and metrical sense. They are dipped in devotion. I shall quote only two verses and give their meanings.
इति मतिरुपकल्पिता वितृष्णा भगवति सात्वतपुङ्गवे विभूम्नि।
स्वसुखमुपगते क्वचिद्विहर्तुं प्रकृतिमुपेयुषि यद्भवप्रवाहः॥
त्रिभुवनकमनं तमालवर्णं रविकरगौराम्बरं दधाने।
वपुरलककुलावृताननाब्जं विजयसखे रतिरस्तु मेऽनवद्या॥
T: “May my mind remain without any desire, totally immersed in Bhagavan Sri Krishna, omnipotent, ever blissful in His Divinity, who creates this world out of His sweet will and even manifests as Avatara as He wishes. His form enchants the three worlds, He is of a dark charming complexion of the Tamala tree, wears a golden garment, has applied sandal paste, his curls surround his lotus face, he is the dear friend of Arjuna. May my loving devotion to Sri Krishna be without any lacunae.”
Bhishma recalls how, on the battlefield, it was impossible for Arjuna to get the better of himself. And Bhishma had also taken an oath that he would drive Pandavas to such a corner that Sri Krishna would be forced, out of his compassion for them, to take up arms and fight Bhishma, thereby breaking his own word before the battle that he would not take up arms. Bhishma had calculated that there was no better way to die than at Sri Krishna’s hands!
This was averted when Sri Krishna had stopped midway while rushing at him, with his Sudarshana raised, when Bhishma had laughingly called out his breaking his promise not to take up arms.
That scene is described in some verses, before concluding with charming references to Sri Krishna’s pranks in Gokula and His statesmanship during Rajasuya.
I append below the scan from Swami Tapasyananda’s book, giving lucid English meanings of verses that capture Sri Krishna’s acts of grace that Bhishma recalls.
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At the end of his prayer, Bhishma concentrated his entire being in the Lord, and merged in the Supersoul.
आत्म्यात्मानमावेश्य सोऽन्तःश्वासः उपारमत्
T: Merging his own soul into the Supersoul, Bhishma dissolved his breath within at last.
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There was a profound silence. Gods, rishis, Pandavas and their retinue, had all witnessed a never-before, never-after moment of a hero voluntarily leaving his body.
Then the gods and men raised a huge celebration of the momentous passing of Bhishma with all kinds of musical and percussion instruments. There was a shower of flowers from heaven.
The sages blessed all and bade goodbye.
Yudhishthira pulled himself together with some effort and performed Bhishma’s last rites.
He then went on to take over the reins of rulership as he had been advised, after taking permission from Dhritarashtra and blessings from Sri Krishna.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
