Shloka 133
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
शरतल्पगत: कृष्णं प्रदध्यौ प्राउजलि: शुचि: । पुरुषसिंह भीष्म शरशय्यापर ही पड़े-पड़े हाथ जोड़ पवित्र भावसे मन, वाणी और क्रियाद्वारा भगवान् श्रीकृष्णका ध्यान करने लगे
śaratālpagataḥ kṛṣṇaṃ pradhyāu prāñjaliḥ śuciḥ | puruṣasiṃha bhīṣmaḥ śaraśayyāparaḥ hi pade-pade hātha joṛa pavitra bhāvase mana, vāṇī aura kriyādvārā bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇakā dhyāna karane lage |
Vaiśampāyana said: Lying upon the bed of arrows, the lion among men, Bhīṣma—pure in mind—fixed his meditation on Kṛṣṇa. With hands joined in reverence, he continued, moment by moment, to contemplate the Lord through thought, speech, and deed, embodying disciplined devotion even amid the aftermath of war.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in suffering and at the end of life, one can uphold dharma through inner purity and disciplined devotion—directing mind and conduct toward the highest good, here symbolized by meditation on Kṛṣṇa.
After the war, Bhīṣma lies on the arrow-bed. In a posture of reverence (joined palms), he meditates on Kṛṣṇa, preparing himself inwardly for instruction and for his final moments.