Shloka 26
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
वे ही इस विश्वके परम आधार हैं। इन्हींको नारायणदेव कहते हैं। वे सूक्ष्मसे भी सूक्ष्म और स्थूलसे भी स्थूल हैं। वे भारी-से-भारी और उत्तमसे भी उत्तम हैं ।।
sa hi viśvasya parama ādhāraḥ; taṃ nārāyaṇaṃ devāḥ pravadanti. sa sūkṣmāt sūkṣmataraḥ sthūlāt sthūlataraḥ; gurutvāt gurutaraḥ śreṣṭhatvāc ca śreṣṭhataraḥ. yaṃ vākeṣv anuvākeṣu niṣatsu upaniṣatsu ca gṛṇanti satyakarmāṇaṃ satyaṃ satyeṣu sāmasu.
Bhishma declares that the Supreme is the ultimate foundation of the entire universe, known by the gods as Nārāyaṇa. He transcends all measures: subtler than the subtle, vaster than the vast, weightier than the weighty, and higher than the highest. In the Vedic recitations and their subsidiary sections, in the Niṣads and the Upaniṣads, and in the Sāman hymns that speak truth, the sages praise Him as “Truth” and as the One whose very action is truth—teaching that the highest dharma rests on unwavering reality, not on mere appearance.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The Supreme (Nārāyaṇa) is the ultimate ground of existence and the standard of dharma: He is identified with Satya (Truth) and with satyakarman (truthful action), implying that ethical life must be rooted in reality and integrity rather than expediency.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and ultimate principles; here he elevates the discussion to the highest metaphysical level by describing Nārāyaṇa as the cosmic foundation praised throughout Vedic and Upaniṣadic revelation.