Shloka 143
तालवृन्तान्युपादाय पर्यवीजन्त सर्वश: । माद्रीकुमार नकुल और सहदेवने पगड़ी हाथमें लेकर भीष्मजीके मस्तकपर रखी। कौरवराजके रनिवासकी स्ट्रियाँ ताड़के पंखे हाथमें लेकर कुरुकुलधुरन्धर भीष्मजीके शवको सब ओरसे हवा करने लगीं
tālavṛntāny upādāya paryavījanta sarvaśaḥ | mādrīkumarau nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca pāgṛīṃ hastam ādāya bhīṣmasya mastake nyadhāpayatām | kauravarājasya ranivāsastriyaḥ tālapattravījān hastagṛhītāḥ kurukuladhurandharaṃ bhīṣmaṃ śavaṃ sarvato vāyum akarot ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Taking palm-leaf fans, they fanned on every side. Mādrī’s sons, Nakula and Sahadeva, lifted a turban in their hands and placed it upon Bhīṣma’s head. The women of the Kuru king’s inner apartments, holding palm-leaf fans, gently wafted air from all directions over Bhīṣma’s body—honouring the great bearer of the Kuru line even in death. The scene affirms the dharmic duty of reverence toward elders and the fallen, and the continuity of respect beyond the battlefield’s violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after conflict, dharma requires honoring elders and the fallen with dignity. The respectful acts—covering the head and fanning the body—express gratitude and reverence toward Bhīṣma as a guardian of the Kuru line, showing that ethical conduct continues beyond victory or defeat.
After Bhīṣma’s passing, attendants and royal women fan his body with palm-leaf fans. Nakula and Sahadeva, the sons of Mādrī, place a turban on Bhīṣma’s head as an honorific gesture, treating him as a revered elder and dynastic pillar.