Shloka 196
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
देवा देवर्षयश्नैव यं विदुः परमव्ययम् । नारायणसे ही ऋषिगण, सिद्ध, बड़े-बड़े नाग, देवता तथा देवर्षि भी उन्हें अविनाशी परमात्माके रूपमें जानने लगे हैं
devā devarṣayaś caiva yaṁ viduḥ paramāvyayam | nārāyaṇaṁ hi ṛṣigaṇāḥ siddhā mahānāgāś ca devāś ca devarṣayaś ca tam avyayaṁ paramātmānaṁ manyante |
Bhishma said: The gods and the divine seers know Him as the supreme, imperishable Reality. Indeed, the companies of sages, the Siddhas, the great Nāgas, the gods, and the divine seers all recognize Nārāyaṇa as the undecaying Supreme Self—affirming that the highest refuge of dharma is the Eternal who stands beyond loss and change.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts Nārāyaṇa as the supreme, imperishable Paramātmā, validated by the highest spiritual authorities (gods, divine seers, sages, Siddhas, and Nāgas). Ethically, it grounds dharma in alignment with an eternal, unchanging divine principle rather than transient power or circumstance.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on peace, dharma, and right understanding after the war. Here he emphasizes a theological consensus: exalted beings across realms acknowledge Nārāyaṇa as the imperishable Supreme Self, strengthening the authority of devotion and right knowledge within his counsel.