Shloka 54

Bhīṣma’s Yogic Departure, Royal Cremation, and Gaṅgā’s Lament (भीष्मस्य योगयुक्त्या देहत्यागः, पितृमेधः, गङ्गाविलापः)

Devanagari script

एतदत्यदभुतं वृत्तं पुण्ये हि भवति प्रभो । वासुदेवस्य कौन्तेय स्थाणोश्वैव स्वभावजम्‌

Transliteration

etad atyadbhutaṃ vṛttaṃ puṇye hi bhavati prabho | vāsudevasya kaunteya sthāṇoś caiva svabhāvajam, prabho ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „O Herr, o Sohn der Kuntī, dies ist ein höchst wunderbarer Bericht. Er ereignete sich in uralter Zeit an heiliger Stätte und handelt von der angeborenen, natürlichen Größe Vāsudevas (Śrī Kṛṣṇas) und Sthāṇus (Mahādevas).“

Word by Word

• {'etat': 'this', 'aty-adbhutam': 'exceedingly wondrous, extraordinary', 'vṛttam': 'account, narrative, event', 'puṇye': 'in a holy (place/setting)

• in what is meritorious', 'hi': 'indeed', 'bhavati': 'happens, occurs, takes place', 'prabho': 'O lord', 'vāsudevasya': 'of Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)', 'kaunteya': 'O son of Kuntī (address to Yudhiṣṭhira/Arjuna depending on context)', 'sthāṇoḥ': 'of Sthāṇu (a name of Śiva, ‘the immovable’)', 'caiva': 'and indeed', 'svabhāvajam': 'born of one’s own nature

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kaunteya (son of Kuntī)
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Sthāṇu (Śiva/Mahādeva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the coming episode as a sacred, morally elevating narrative that reveals the innate divine greatness of both Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) and Śiva (Sthāṇu), encouraging reverence and harmony in understanding the deities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma introduces an extraordinary, ancient event that occurred in a holy context and announces that it concerns Kṛṣṇa and Śiva—setting the stage for a revered account about their natural powers and significance.