Chapter 9 – Yudhiṣṭhira’s Acquisition of Kingdom & Bhiṣma drops his mortal coil
Sūta said:
1.) Thus afraid of the wrongs perpetrated against humanity, and with a desire to know about all kinds of sacred duties (Dharma), king Yudhiṣṭhira thereafter proceeded to vinaśana (a spot in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra)—where Devavrata (Bhīṣma) had fallen and lay (on his bed of arrows).
Special Note – Vinaśana—the spot where Bhīṣma fell from his chariot in the battlefield.
(Yatra devavrato bhīṣmo rathad apatad vinaśanam… kuru- kṣetrāntargataṃ sthānam), which means, “Vinaśana is the place within Kurukṣetra where Devavrata (Bhīṣma) fell from his chariot”.
Devavrata— Devavrata was the birth name of Bhīṣma, he was the 8th son of King Śantanu and Gaṅgā (The River Goddess); and the real heir to the throne of Hastināpura after his father.
When Gaṅgā (The River Goddess) agreed to marry King Shantanu, she set a condition: “You must never question or interfere with anything I do.” Shantanu agreed, and they lived together happily for a time. However, after their marriage, Gaṅgā began to do something strange — she gave birth to their children and immediately drowned each one in the river. Shantanu was horrified but, bound by his promise, he stayed silent. This happened seven times.
When the eighth child was born and she was about to drown him too, Shantanu could no longer bear it and stopped her, breaking his promise. At that moment, Gaṅgā revealed her true identity and explained everything:
- The eight sons were the eight Vasu deities, cursed to be born as mortals due to a misdeed. (To learn more about who are these vasu’s, please refer to the special note at verse 9 of this chapter)
- She had agreed to help liberate them quickly from their human birth by drowning them.
- The eighth, however — Devavrata (Bhīṣma) — was destined to live a long life on Earth due to a heavier part of the curse.
Having completed her divine task and since Shantanu had broken his vow, Gaṅgā left him, taking Devavrata with her for a time to educate and train him in various arts and scriptures. Later, she returned the boy to Shantanu.
He gets the name Bhīṣma (meaning : the one with the dreadful vow). It was because his father (King Shantanu) wanted to marry Satyavatī (after the Goddess Gaṅgā had left him). However, there was a complication: Satyavatī’s father agreed to the marriage only if her son would inherit the throne. But Shantanu had already declared his son Devavrata (Bhīṣma) as the heir, and he could not go back on that promise. Torn between his love for Satyavatī and his duty to Bhīṣma, Shantanu refused the offer and returned to his palace, sorrowful and heartbroken. Seeing his father in distress, Devavrata approached the fisherman, and to fulfill his father’s desire: He renounced his claim to the throne. And, even more astonishingly, took a vow of lifelong celibacy, to ensure that no descendant of his would challenge Satyavatī’s lineage.
After his father’s death (King Shantanu), he installed Satyavatī’s son Vicitravīrya on the throne and got him married to two princesses of Kāśirāja; afterwards when Vicitravīrya died childless, he advised Satyavatī to persuade her daughter-in- laws to have children by the process of niyoga (with the help of sage Vyāsa) and Bhīṣma became the guardian of his nephews and grandsons; in the great Mahābhārata war, he was the first commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army. On the tenth day of the battle, Arjuna being protected by Śikhaṇḍin, pierced Bhīṣma with innumerable arrows and Bhīṣma fell down from his chariot only to be upheld from the ground by “the bed of darts”. Due to the boon given to him by King Śantanu, Bhīṣma could choose the time of his death. He survived 58 days after this. When Yudhiṣṭhira approached him after the war, he delivered to him several didactic discourses on all aspects of Dharma. At last when the Sun crossed the vernal equinox (the beginning of Uttarayana), he cast off his mortal coil with his mind fixed on God. Bhīṣma was an ideal hero noted for his continence, wisdom, firmness of resolve and devotion to God.
2.) Thereupon all his celebrated brothers (Bhīma and others) followed him in chariots decked with gold and driven by excellent horses, as also the sages Vyāsa, Dhaumya (the family priest of King Yudhiṣṭhira) and others.
Special Note – Dhaumya—The family priest of Pāṇḍavas; was invited for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya sacrifice; accompanied Pāṇḍavas in their exile in the forest; followed Yudhiṣṭhira on a visit to the dying Bhīṣma.
3.) Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, O Śaunaka, rode in a chariot along with Dhanañjaya (Arjuna, so-called because of his having fetched as a tribute from his enemies untold riches for Yudhiṣṭhira, thereby enabling him to perform his famous Rājasūya sacrifice, which earned him the title of Emperor). Accompanied by them, king Yudhiṣṭhira shone brightly like Kubera (the Chief of the Yakṣas, a class of demigods) in the midst of Guhyakas (Yakṣas).
Special Note – Kubera—The god of riches; the ruler of the city of Alakā in the north; the head of demi-gods like the Yakṣas, Guhyakas and Kinnaras; traditionally he is regarded as a custodian of gold, silver, precious stones and such treasures.
Guhyakas—A class of demigods who, like the Yakṣas, wait on Kubera and guard his treasure.
4.) Seeing Bhīṣma lying on the ground like a god fallen from the Heaven, Pāṇḍavas along with their followers and Śrī Kṛṣṇa made obeisance to him.
5.) At that time, O Śaunaka, Brāhmaṇa sages, celestial sages and royal sages, all had assembled there in order to see Bhīṣma (the foremost of the Bhārata).
6-8.) Parvata, Nārada, Dhaumya, the divine Bādarāyaṇa (Vedavyāsa), Bṛhadaśva, Bharadvāja, and the son of Reṇuka (Paraśurāma) along with his pupils.
Vasiṣṭha, Indrapramada, Trita, Gṛtsamada, Asita, Kakṣīvān, Gautama, Atri, Kauśika and then Sudarśana.
And other sages like Brahmarata (Śuka) and others like Kaśyapa, Aṅgiras (and others) arrived there along with their pupils, O Śaunaka.
9.) Seeing those highly blessed souls assembled there, the greatest of Vasus (Bhīṣma being the 8th vasu deity), who was well-versed in the principles of right conduct paid his respect to them with due regard to the occasion and place.
Special Note – Who are the Vasus?
The Vasus are attendants of Indra (the king of heaven), and are often associated with natural elements and cosmic energies. They represent different aspects of nature and the material world.
The Eight Vasus are:
1. Dhruva – the Pole Star
2. Prabhāsa – light or radiance
3. Soma – the moon
4. Dhāra – earth
5. Anila – wind / air
6. Anala – fire
7. Āpa – water
8. Pratyūṣa – dawn or the time of the rising of the sun
In the Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma (Devavrata) is said to be the incarnation of the Vasu named Prabhāsa. The Vasus were cursed by the sage Vasiṣṭha for stealing his divine cow. As a result, they had to be born on earth as mortals. Gaṅgā agreed to be their mother and liberate them quickly by drowning them — except for one, Prabhāsa, who was cursed to live a long and painful human life. He became Bhīṣma.
The Vasus symbolize the building blocks of creation and are often invoked in rituals and hymns for their divine presence in air, fire, water, light, and more. They are powerful, yet subtle forces in the cosmos.
10.) And (Bhīṣma) who knew the superhuman power of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the Universe who has assumed human form by His power called Māyā (Divine Power) and who (though) occupying the hearts (of all) was sitting (by his side), paid his homage to him (Śrī Kṛṣṇa).
11.) With his eyes blinded with tears of affection, Bhīṣma looked at the sons of Pāṇḍu, who sat beside him, full of modesty and love, and spoke to them as follows
Special Note – Eyes blinded with tears in the above verse refers to the overflowing of tears of love which had almost obscured his (Bhīṣma’s) vision. It beautifully captures a moment of deep emotional connection.
12.) Alas! How painful and how unjust it has been that you, the progeny of righteousness (Dharma), who are devoted to the Brāhmaṇas (learnt people), Dharma (rightful duties) and Lord Acyuta (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), should have lived a life of suffering, which you surely did not deserve.
13.) When the great warrior Pāṇḍu breathed his last (passed away), you were all tender of age (Pāṇḍavas), and my daughter-in-law Pṛthā (Kuntī), along with you (her children the Pāṇḍavas), had to suffer many hardships on your account more than once (to look after her very young children all alone).
14.) And I believe that whatever unpleasant (has happened to you) were attributable to Time (Fate / Providence) under whose influence lies all the world along with its guardian deities of the quarters (of the world), just as a row of clouds which are under the control of the wind.
15.) Where the king is the son of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira), Bhīma with a mace in hand, the dark-coloured hero (Arjuna) the bearer of the Gāṇḍīva bow and the knower of missiles and (having) Śrī Kṛṣṇa as a well-wisher, how can misfortune exist there?
16.) Indeed no person, O king, can ever discover the intention of the divine Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As a matter of fact, even learned seers get bewildered in their seeking to find it out.
17.) Therefore, knowing it for certain that all these events depend on the will of Providence, O chief of the Bharatas, follow His will (of Śrī Kṛṣṇa), O ruler of humans, and protect the helpless people as you are their sole monarch.
18.) Śrī Kṛṣṇa is God Himself. He is none other than the Prime Person, Ādi Nārāyaṇa. Deluding this world by His Māyā (divine illusion), He lives incognito among the Vṛṣṇis (a branch of the Yadus).
19-20.) No one else than Lord Śiva, the celestial sage Nārada and Lord Kapila Himself, O Yudhiṣṭhira, know the most hidden glory of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Whom you have been thinking to be your cousin (maternal uncle’s son), beloved friend and greatest well-wisher and whom out of affection you made your counsellor, envoy and charioteer, is none other than the great Ādi Nārāyaṇa Himself!
21.) There never has been any change in his mind (regarding the dignity or otherwise) for acts performed by him (who is) the Soul of all, who is impartial, without a second, free from ego, and free from all sins.
22.) Yet, O king, look at His compassion for those who are exclusively devoted to Him, in that Śrī Kṛṣṇa has appeared in person before me at this hour, when I am about to give up the body.
23.) While concentrating the mind upon whom with devotion, and repeating whose name by words, a Yogi, who leaves his body, becomes liberated from desires and actions.
24.) May that Lord, who is adorable even for gods and possessed of four arms, whose lotus-like countenance beams with gracious smiles and reddish eyes and who appears to others only in their meditation, stay on here till I cast off this body.
Sūta said:
25.) On hearing that (speech of Bhīṣma), Yudhiṣṭhira asked questions on various types of Dharmas (sacred obligations or courses of conduct) to Bhīṣma who was lying in the bed of arrows (cage of arrows) while the sages (Ṛṣis) were listening.
26-28.) Thereupon Bhīṣma, who had realized the Truth, discoursed upon, one by one, the various Dharmas (duties) determined by the innate disposition of humans and apportioned with due regard to their Varṇa (social grade) and Āśrama (stage in life) and the twofold Dharmas (the Dharmas involving worldly activity—Pravṛtti, and those marked by withdrawal from such activity—Nivṛtti) severally recommended for those endowed with dispassion and those who are full of worldly attachment, the Dharmas relating to charitable gifts, the duties obligatory on monarchs, the courses of conduct which are conducive to liberation, the duties of women and the courses of conduct that are intended to propitiate the Lord, both briefly and in detail. He also explained, O Śaunaka, the four ends of human pursuit {Dharma (religious merit), Artha (worldly riches), Kāma (sensuous enjoyment) and Mokṣa (final beatitude or liberation)} as well as the means to them in their true perspective with the help of many illustrative anecdotes and stories.
29.) While he was thus discoursing on Dharma, there arrived the time when the sun changes its course towards the north (Northern solstice / Uttarayana). A time which is longed for by Yogis who have the power to drop their body as per their pleasure, also drew near.
30.) Thereupon Bhīṣma (who had led on the battle-field thousands of warriors) wound up his speech and exclusively fixed his mind, which was absolutely free from worldly attachment, as well as his eyes, which knew no winking (firmly focused) upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Prime Person, who was present before him in His four-armed form, clad in shining yellow robes.
31.) The last traces of sin (if any) left in him (Bhīṣma) were obliterated by his concentrated thought on the Most Holy Person (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and the pain which he felt on account of the weapons (arrows piercing his body) quickly disappeared at a mere glance of the Lord. Now, while casting off his body, he stopped all the activities and wanderings of his senses and extolled Lord Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) as follows :
32.) Now on the eve of my departure (from this mortal world) I offer my mind, which is free from all thirst (for worldly enjoyment), to the supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the foremost of the Yadus), who, while retaining His own blissful character all along, sometimes assumes His own Prakṛti (Māyā) in order to carry on His sport (Divine Play), from which flows the stream of creation.
33.) May I cherish motiveless love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the friend of Vijaya (Arjuna), who has assumed a personality charming to the three worlds and dark as the Tamala tree, and is clad in excellent robes, brilliant as the rays of the sun, and whose lotus-like countenance has curly locks floating about it.
34.) May my mind, body and soul rest in Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose face is hemmed all round by flowing hair soiled with the dust raised by the horses’ hoofs on the battle-field and is bedecked with drops of perspiration (sweat), and whose skin is being pierced by my sharp arrows, though protected with a shining armour.
35.) May I develop love for the friend of Pṛthā’s son (Arjuna), who at the request of His friend immediately drove and placed his chariot in the middle of the Pāṇḍava and the Kaurava hosts and, planting Himself there, cut short the life of the hostile warriors by His very looks.
36.) May I be blessed with devotion to the feet of that Supreme Being who by imparting spiritual knowledge (in the form of the Gītā) dispelled the (temporary) delusion of His friend, who on seeing us (generals of the Kaurava forces) at the van of the hostile army arrayed at a distance felt disinclined to kill his own kith and kin because he regarded it a sin.
37.) Breaking His own vow (not to take up arms during the Mahābhārata war), to fulfil and exalt my vow (of compelling Him to take up arms), Śrī Kṛṣṇa jumped down from the car on which He had taken His seat and, like a lion that pounces upon an elephant to kill, darted towards me with a wheel of His chariot in His hand, the earth trembling under His feet and His upper garment dropping behind Him.
38.) Hit with the piercing arrows of a desperado like me and bathed in blood, and with His armour broken, He who rushed forth to kill me, disregarding the remonstrances of Arjuna (paying no attention to Arjuna’s advice to not lift the weapon due to the promise made)—may that Lord Mukunda (the Bestower of blessedness) be my shelter.
39.) May I in my last moments develop love for the Lord who, having taken upon Himself the responsibility to protect the chariot of Vijaya (Arjuna), took the charioteer’s whip in one hand and held the horses’ reins in another and looked most attractive in that charming role, witnessing which (at their last moment) they who fell on this battle-field attained a form similar to His (or Sārūpya-Mukti as the scriptures call it).
Special Note – The Five Types of Mukti Are :
- Sālokya-Mukti: Residing on the same planet as the Lord.
- Sāmīpya-Mukti: Attaining close proximity to the Lord, becoming his associate.
- Sārūpya-Mukti: Attaining a form similar to the Lord’s.
- Sārṣṭi-Mukti: Attaining similar opulences or powers as the Lord.
- Sāyujya-Mukti: Merging into the being or effulgence of the Lord.
In essence, Sārūpya-Mukti is the liberation where a devotee, through intense devotion and divine grace, achieves a spiritual form that reflects the beauty and characteristics of their beloved Lord, allowing them to reside eternally in His divine abode as a loving servant.
40.) Having had the signal honour of enjoying the sight of His charming gait, graceful movements, winsome smiles and amorous glances (during the famous Rāsā dance at Vṛndāvana), the cowherdesses in their deep ecstasy imitated His plays (when the Lord suddenly disappeared from their midst— Discourses XXXII and XXXIII of Book Ten) and attained identity with Him (for the time being).
41.) In an assembly crowded with hosts of sages and foremost princes during the Rājasūya sacrifice performed by Yudhiṣṭhira Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who attracted the eyes of them all, had the honour of being worshipped first of all before my very eyes. It is He, the Soul of the Universe, who has appeared before me (at this moment).
42.) Having shaken off the foolish idea of diversity (dualism—bheda) and delusion (moha), I have realized that unborn Lord, who though one, is severally enthroned in the heart of all embodied creatures brought forth by Himself, even as the sun, though one, appears as many to every eye.
Sūta said:
43.) In this way, having merged himself with Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the functions of his mind, speech, sight, he (Bhīṣma) ceased to breathe within.
44.) Knowing that Bhīṣma is being merged with the attributeless Brahma, all kept quiet like birds after sunset.
45.) Then sounded kettledrums beaten by the gods and human beings; the pious among the princes shouted applause and showers of flowers poured from heaven (the sky).
46.) Oh Bhārgava (Śaunaka, who is a descendant of Bhṛgu), Yudhiṣṭhira having got performed the funeral rites in respect to the deceased (Bhīṣma), became mournful for a while.
47.) Then (after the death of Bhīṣma), sages pleased Śrī Kṛṣṇa by (reciting) his sacred (guhya) names and with their hearts pleased and devoted to Śrī Kṛṣṇa they went back to their hermitages.
48.) Then Yudhiṣṭhira along with Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to Hastināpura and consoled his uncle (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and miserable Gāndhārī.
49.) Then, permitted by his uncle (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and with the approval of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the son of Vasudeva), the king ruled over his ancestral kingdom with righteousness.
Thus ends the ninth discourse, forming part of the story relating to the Naimiśa forest, in Book One of the great and glorious Bhāgavata Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahaṁsa-Saṁhitā (the book of the God-realized souls).
Summarization Of The Entire Chapter :
After the great war of Mahābhārata had subsided, King Yudhiṣṭhira, burdened with sorrow and the weight of Dharma, set forth with his brothers and revered sages to Vinaśana—the battlefield site where the grand patriarch Bhīṣma, the son of Gaṅgā and Śantanu, lay on the bed of arrows waiting to depart his body at his chosen time. Though the war had ended in victory, the king’s heart was heavy with questions about righteousness, justice, and the rightful dharma for him to overcome sins of the battle.
Bhīṣma, revered as the greatest among the Vasus, had fallen not in defeat but in fulfillment of his divine destiny. Born as Devavrata, he was a soul of extraordinary resolve and sacrifice. For the sake of his father’s happiness, he had renounced kingship and vowed eternal celibacy, earning the name “Bhīṣma”—the one of terrible vow. His life was a testimony to steadfastness, purity, and unwavering devotion to duty.
In the divine presence of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who had personally accompanied Arjuna and the royal entourage, Bhīṣma appeared like a fallen god—majestic even in suffering. Around him gathered celestial sages, seers, and ṛṣis, including Nārada, Vyāsa, Paraśurāma, Vasiṣṭha, and others, drawn to witness the final teachings of one of Dharma’s greatest exemplars. All paid homage to Bhīṣma, and he, despite his pain, humbly honored the saints and sages in return.
Seeing the Pāṇḍavas—those noble sons of Dharma—bow before him, Bhīṣma was overcome with emotion. Tears filled his eyes as he gazed upon the noble-hearted Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers, who had endured untold hardships despite their righteousness. Addressing them, he reflected on the mysterious ways of Time and Providence. Even with such mighty warriors, and even with Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself as their guide and well-wisher, they had to suffer—proving that the will of the Divine transcends human comprehension.
Bhīṣma acknowledged that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, though appearing as their kinsman and friend, was none other than the Supreme Lord—Ādi Nārāyaṇa—who walks the earth hidden by His Māyā. Only the greatest of sages like Nārada and Lord Śiva truly understood His infinite glory. The Lord of the cosmos had chosen to stand beside Bhīṣma at this sacred hour, revealing His unmatched compassion for those who are surrendered unto Him.
At Yudhiṣṭhira’s earnest request, Bhīṣma then discoursed on Dharma with clarity and wisdom. He spoke of duties based on one’s innate nature (svabhāva), station in life (varṇa), and spiritual disposition. He explained the balance between worldly engagement (pravṛtti) and renunciation (nivṛtti), the role of charity, righteous kingship, the path to liberation, and the means to attain the four aims of life—Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa. His words, rich with examples and anecdotes, were like the final rays of the sun before its divine setting.
As the northern course of the sun (Uttarāyaṇa) approached—a time cherished by Yogis for leaving the body—Bhīṣma prepared for his final departure. Fixing his unwavering gaze and focused his mind upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa standing before him in His divine four-armed form, Bhīṣma withdrew all his senses and offered a stream of praise to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
In deep devotion, he remembered the Lord who, despite His divine vow, had once lifted a chariot wheel to defend His devotee (Arjun). The patriarch recalled the battlefield scene, not with pride but with surrender, cherishing the dust of the Lord’s feet and even the pain of being pierced by Arjuna’s arrows as divine blessings.
Bhīṣma’s heart overflowed with bhakti, and his final prayers were soaked in love and surrender. He praised the Lord whose beauty captivated the three worlds, whose smile dispelled fear, and whose Gītā had removed the delusion of Arjuna. At last, resting his mind in the divine form of Mukunda, the Giver of liberation (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), Bhīṣma peacefully relinquished his body, liberated by the grace of the Lord he had always served.
Short Questions & Answers :
Q1: Why did King Yudhiṣṭhira go to the battlefield after the war was over?
A: King Yudhiṣṭhira, distressed by the destruction caused in the war and desiring to understand sacred duties (Dharma), went to Vinaśana—the spot in Kurukṣetra where Bhīṣma (Devavrata) lay on his bed of arrows.
Q2: What is the significance of Vinaśana?
A: Vinaśana is the place in Kurukṣetra where Bhīṣma fell from his chariot on the tenth day of the war. It is where he lay on a bed of arrows, awaiting an auspicious time to give up his body.
Q3: Who was Bhīṣma (Devavrata) and why is he so revered?
A: Bhīṣma, born as Devavrata, was the son of King Śantanu and the River Goddess Gaṅgā. He is revered for his vow of celibacy and lifelong service to the Kuru dynasty. He chose to remain loyal to the throne without personal ambition and upheld Dharma till the end of his life. He was an incarnation of the Vasu named Prabhāsa and possessed the boon of choosing the time of his death.
Q4: Why did Bhīṣma take a vow of celibacy?
A: Bhīṣma took the vow of lifelong celibacy to ensure that Satyavatī’s sons (his stepmother’s lineage) would inherit the throne. This sacrifice was made to fulfill his father’s wish to marry Satyavatī.
Q5: Who accompanied Yudhiṣṭhira on his visit to Bhīṣma?
A: Yudhiṣṭhira was accompanied by his brothers (Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva), the sage Vyāsa and Dhaumya, and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who rode in Arjuna’s chariot.
Q6: How did Bhīṣma receive the visitors?
A: Bhīṣma, though lying wounded, respectfully welcomed the Pāṇḍavas, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the assembled sages with reverence and affection, acknowledging the sanctity of the moment.
Q7: Who were some of the sages present at Bhīṣma’s deathbed?
A: Great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa (Bādarāyaṇa), Paraśurāma, Vasiṣṭha, Atri, Gautama, Kaśyapa, Śuka (Brahmarata), and many others gathered to witness Bhīṣma’s final moments.
Q8: What is the spiritual identity of Bhīṣma according to the Mahābhārata?
A: Bhīṣma is considered the incarnation of the Vasu named Prabhāsa, who was cursed by Sage Vasiṣṭha to be born as a human. Unlike his seven brothers who were quickly liberated by Gaṅgā, he had to live a long life due to the severity of his share of the curse.
Q9: How did Bhīṣma view Śrī Kṛṣṇa?
A: Bhīṣma recognized Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Being, Ādi Nārāyaṇa, the Lord who appears in human form through His divine Māyā. He acknowledged Kṛṣṇa’s inscrutable will and divine compassion, especially in appearing before him at the time of death.
Q10: What emotion overtook Bhīṣma upon seeing the Pāṇḍavas and Śrī Kṛṣṇa?
A: Bhīṣma was overwhelmed with love and affection. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at the Pāṇḍavas, remembering their many sufferings and their righteous conduct.
Q11: How did Bhīṣma interpret the sufferings of the Pāṇḍavas?
A: He believed their sufferings were due to the inescapable influence of Time (Kāla), under which even the gods are bound. He emphasized surrendering to the divine will.
Q12: What did Bhīṣma say about the mystery of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s actions?
A: Bhīṣma stated that even sages and gods like Nārada or Śiva cannot fully understand the intentions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose ways are beyond human comprehension.
Q13: What advice did Bhīṣma give to King Yudhiṣṭhira regarding his duties?
A: Bhīṣma encouraged Yudhiṣṭhira to accept the events as divine will and to focus on his duty of protecting the people and upholding righteousness as their monarch.
Q14: What discourses did Bhīṣma deliver while lying on his bed of arrows?
A: Bhīṣma taught Yudhiṣṭhira various aspects of Dharma including duties based on varṇa and āśrama, pravṛtti and nivṛtti paths, governance, charity, women’s duties, and the four aims of life: Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa.
Q15: What happened as the northern solstice (Uttarāyaṇa) approached?
A: As the auspicious time for Yogis to leave their bodies approached, Bhīṣma ended his discourses, fixed his mind on Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and prepared to depart from the world.
Q16: How did Bhīṣma meditate upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his final moments?
A: Bhīṣma concentrated deeply on Kṛṣṇa’s divine form—His smiling lotus face, His battlefield form with dust and sweat, and His heroic leap with a chariot wheel. Bhīṣma praised His compassion and divine intervention in his life.
Q17: How did Bhīṣma recall Śrī Kṛṣṇa breaking His vow during the war?
A: Bhīṣma joyfully remembered how Śrī Kṛṣṇa, despite vowing not to fight, picked up a wheel to charge at him in fury, to protect Arjuna and uphold Bhīṣma’s vow—an act of divine love and cosmic drama.
Q18: What did Bhīṣma pray for at the time of his death?
A: He prayed for motiveless love (ahaitukī bhakti) for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, longing for devotion to the Lord in His most personal and intimate form—friend, charioteer, and God incarnate.
