Shloka 5
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
व्यासेन वेदविदुषा नारदेन सुरर्षिणा । देवस्थानेन वात्स्येन तथाश्मकसुमन्तुना
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
vyāsena vedaviduṣā nāradena surarṣiṇā |
devastānena vātsyena tathāśmakasumantunā ||
śraddhā-dama-śamopetair vataś candram ivā grahaiḥ |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Bhīṣma was surrounded by venerable sages—Vyāsa, knower of the Veda; Nārada, the divine seer; and others such as Devastāna, Vātsya, Aśmaka, and Sumantu—men endowed with faith, self-restraint, and inner calm. In their midst Bhīṣma shone with special splendor, like the moon encircled by the planets.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral and spiritual authority is strengthened by śraddhā (faith), dama (self-restraint), and śama (inner calm). Bhīṣma’s role as a teacher of dharma is portrayed as being validated and illuminated by the presence of disciplined sages, emphasizing that ethical instruction rests on both learning and character.
In the Śānti Parva setting, Bhīṣma lies as the great instructor while eminent ṛṣis gather around him. The verse lists leading sages and uses the image of the moon surrounded by planets to convey Bhīṣma’s prominence amid a learned assembly.