Shloka 12
Bhīṣmadeva’s Passing Away in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa
अहो कष्टमहोऽन्याय्यं यद्यूयं धर्मनन्दना: । जीवितुं नार्हथ क्लिष्टं विप्रधर्माच्युताश्रया: ॥ १२ ॥
aho kaṣṭam aho ’nyāyyaṁ yad yūyaṁ dharma-nandanāḥ jīvituṁ nārhatha kliṣṭaṁ vipra-dharmācyutāśrayāḥ
Bhīṣmadeva sprach: „Ach, welch Leid und welch Unrecht! O Söhne des Dharma, ihr hättet nicht in solchen Drangsalen am Leben bleiben sollen; und doch wurdet ihr durch die brāhmaṇas, durch den Dharma und durch die Zuflucht bei Acyuta beschützt.“
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was disturbed due to the great massacre in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Bhīṣmadeva could understand this, and therefore he spoke first of the terrible sufferings of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was put into difficulty by injustice only, and the Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought just to counteract this injustice. Therefore, he should not regret the great massacre. He wanted to point out particularly that they were always protected by the brāhmaṇas, the Lord and religious principles. As long as they were protected by these three important items, there was no cause of disappointment. Thus Bhīṣmadeva encouraged Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to dissipate his despondency. As long as a person is fully in cooperation with the wishes of the Lord, guided by the bona fide brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas and strictly following religious principles, one has no cause for despondency, however trying the circumstances of life. Bhīṣmadeva, as one of the authorities in the line, wanted to impress this point upon the Pāṇḍavas.
FAQs
This verse highlights the apparent injustice that even Kṛṣṇa’s sheltered devotees (the Pāṇḍavas) undergo hardship—implying that suffering can occur even for the righteous, often as part of divine arrangement and deeper dharmic unfolding.
Seeing the Pāṇḍavas’ many trials despite their devotion to Kṛṣṇa and their adherence to dharma, Bhīṣma laments the painful irony and expresses compassion and moral outrage at their undeserved distress.
Continue dharmic conduct and take shelter of the Lord even when outcomes seem unfair—this verse encourages steadiness in devotion and integrity rather than judging spirituality only by external comfort.