Shloka 33
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
यमेकं बहुधा55त्मानं प्रादुर्भूतमधोक्षजम् । नान्यभक्ता: क्रियावन्तो यजन्ते सर्वकामदम्
yam ekaṁ bahudhā ātmānaṁ prādurbhūtam adhokṣajam | nānyabhaktāḥ kriyāvanto yajante sarvakāmadam ||
Bhishma said: “He is one, yet He manifests in many forms—the Transcendent (Adhokṣaja), beyond the reach of the senses. He fulfills all desires, and devoted worshippers, with undivided loyalty to none other, adore Him through sacrifice and acts of devotion.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the supreme reality is essentially one yet manifests in many forms, and that such a transcendent Lord—beyond sensory grasp—is best approached through exclusive devotion expressed in worship and righteous ritual action.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and higher spiritual aims; here he praises the supreme deity (Adhokṣaja/Nārāyaṇa) and describes how single-minded devotees worship Him through sacrificial and devotional practices.