Shloka 89
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
दिवं ते शिरसा व्याप्तं पद्भ्यां देवी वसुन्धरा । विक्रमेण त्रयो लोका: पुरुषोडसि सनातन:,स्वर्गलोक आपके मस्तकसे, पृथ्वीदेवी आपके पैरोंसे और तीनों लोक आपके तीन पगोंसे व्याप्त हैं, आप सनातन पुरुष हैं
divaṁ te śirasā vyāptaṁ padbhyāṁ devī vasundharā | vikrameṇa trayo lokāḥ puruṣo ’si sanātanaḥ ||
Heaven is encompassed by your head, the goddess Earth by your feet, and by your stride the three worlds are pervaded. You are the eternal Person.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the Lord’s cosmic pervasiveness and eternal nature: all realms—heaven, earth, and the three worlds—are contained within and sustained by the supreme Purusha, implying that dharma ultimately rests on that transcendent foundation.
In Shanti Parva, Bhishma is instructing and elevating Yudhishthira through teachings on dharma; here he offers a hymn-like praise identifying the supreme being as all-encompassing, using imagery of head, feet, and the famed ‘three strides’ that cover the worlds.