Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

व्यासस्य वचन श्रुत्वा नारदस्य च धीमत: । स्वयं चैव महाराज कृष्णस्याहतमस्य वै,महाराज! व्यासजी तथा बुद्धिमान्‌ नारदजीके वचन सुनकर मैंने परम पूज्य श्रीकृष्ण तथा महर्षियोंके महान्‌ प्रभावका वर्णन किया है। भारत! गिरिराजनन्दिनी उमा और महेश्वरका जो संवाद हुआ था, उसका भी मैंने उल्लेख किया है

Transliteration

vyāsasya vacanaṃ śrutvā nāradasya ca dhīmataḥ | svayaṃ caiva mahārāja kṛṣṇasyāhatamasya vai ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Having heard the words of Vyasa and of the wise Narada, and also having personally witnessed the unsurpassed greatness of Krishna, O great king, I have described the extraordinary power of the Lord and of the great sages. O Bharata, I also recalled the dialogue that took place between Uma, the daughter of the king of mountains, and Maheshvara.”

Word by Word

• {'vyāsasya': 'of Vyasa', 'vacanam': 'speech, statement, instruction', 'śrutvā': 'having heard', 'nāradasya': 'of Narada', 'dhīmataḥ': 'of the intelligent/wise one', 'svayam': 'personally, oneself', 'ca eva': 'and indeed', 'mahārāja': 'O great king', 'kṛṣṇasya': 'of Krishna', 'ahatamasya': 'of the unsurpassed/most excellent (lit. not to be struck down

• invincible/supreme)', 'vai': 'indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Vyasa
• Narada
• Krishna
• Uma (Parvati)
• Maheshvara (Shiva)
• Bharata (address to the king/descendant of Bharata)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ethical and religious authority is grounded in reliable testimony (the words of revered sages like Vyasa and Narada) and in direct discernment; Bhishma frames his praise of Krishna and the sages as supported by both tradition and personal verification, reinforcing devotion aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing the king, explains that his account of Krishna’s supreme greatness and the extraordinary influence of great rishis is based on what he heard from Vyasa and Narada and what he himself knows; he also notes that he has cited the famous conversation between Uma and Maheshvara as part of this teaching.