Shloka 64
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
अकुण्ठं सर्वकार्येषु धर्मकार्यार्थमुद्यतम् । वैकुण्ठस्य च तद् रूप॑ तस्मै कार्यात्मने नम:
akuṇṭhaṁ sarvakāryeṣu dharmakāryārtham udyatam | vaikuṇṭhasya ca tad rūpaṁ tasmai kāryātmane namaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Salutations to that Lord who is never obstructed in any undertaking, who is ever intent on accomplishing the work of dharma, and who is Himself the very form of Vaikuṇṭha—He whose essence is effective action for the good.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the highest object of reverence is the power that acts without obstruction for the sake of dharma. Divine greatness is characterized by unfailing effectiveness (akuṇṭhatā) and constant commitment to righteous purpose (dharma-kārya), presenting an ethical ideal of action aligned with righteousness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct after the war. Here he offers a brief hymn of salutation, identifying the Lord (associated with Nārāyaṇa/Viṣṇu) as the unobstructed doer of dharmic work and as the very embodiment of Vaikuṇṭha, reinforcing devotion alongside ethical instruction.