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,प्रभो! कुन्तीनन्दन! भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्ण और महादेवजीका यह अद्भुत एवं स्वाभाविक वृत्तान्त पूर्वकालमें पुण्यमय पर्वत हिमालयपर संघटित हुआ था

Transliteration

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

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O lord, O son of Kuntī, this is a most wondrous account. It took place in ancient times at a holy setting, and it concerns the innate, natural greatness of Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and of Sthāṇu (Mahādeva).”

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.