Shloka 21
Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti
ऋते शान्तनवाद् भीष्मात् त्रिषु लोकेषु पार्थिव । सत्यधर्मान्महावीर्याच्छूराद् धर्मेकतत्परात्
ṛte śāntanavād bhīṣmāt triṣu lokeṣu pārthiva | satyadharmān mahāvīryāc chūrād dharmaikatatparāt ||
قال فايشَمبايانا: «أيها الملك، في العوالم الثلاثة لم أسمع بأحدٍ غير بهيشما ابن شانتانو—صادقٍ بارّ، بطلٍ عظيم البأس، محاربٍ جسورٍ متفانٍ في الدارما—قد كفَّ الموتَ الطبيعي الذي يأتي للجسد بقوة الزهد والنذر».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates steadfast commitment to truth and dharma, showing that disciplined tapas and unwavering vows can grant extraordinary self-mastery—so profound that even the timing of death may be restrained.
Vaiśampāyana praises Bhīṣma as uniquely unparalleled across the three worlds: a dharma-centered hero whose ascetic power and vow enabled him to postpone the body’s natural death, a hallmark of Bhīṣma’s famed control over his end.