Shloka 13
अयं ब्रद्मविदां श्रेष्ठो हायं ब्रह्मविदां वर: | इत्यभाषन्त भूतानि शयानं पुरुषर्षभम्,वहाँ सोये हुए पुरुषप्रवर भीष्मको देखकर कुछ दिव्य प्राणी कहने लगे, “ये ब्रह्मज्ञानियोंके शिरोमणि हैं, ये ब्रह्मवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ हैं
ayaṁ brahmavidāṁ śreṣṭho hy ayaṁ brahmavidāṁ varaḥ | ity abhāṣanta bhūtāni śayānaṁ puruṣarṣabham ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing Bhīṣma—the bull among men—lying upon his bed, certain celestial beings spoke: “This one is the foremost among knowers of Brahman; indeed, he is the best of those who possess Brahma-knowledge.” Thus Bhīṣma’s fall is shown not as mere defeat in war, but as an honoring of a life of disciplined vows, truthfulness, and steadfast dharma, acknowledged even by higher beings.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
True greatness is measured not only by martial power but by inner realization and steadfast dharma; Bhīṣma is honored as a foremost knower of Brahman, showing that spiritual attainment and ethical integrity command reverence even amid the violence of war.
After Bhīṣma has fallen and lies reclining (traditionally on a bed of arrows), celestial beings observe him and proclaim him the best among Brahman-knowers; Sañjaya reports this acclaim, elevating the moment from battlefield spectacle to moral-spiritual recognition.