Shloka 98
Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna
The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura
ततोडन्तरिक्षेडप्सरसो देवा: सर्षिगणास्तदा । अभ्यवर्षन्त कुसुमैर्भीष्मो5यमिति चाब्रुवन्,उस समय अन्तरिक्षमें अप्सरा, देवता तथा ऋषिगण फूलोंकी वर्षा करने लगे और बोल उठे--'ये भयंकर प्रतिज्ञा करनेवाले राजकुमार भीष्म हैं (अर्थात् भीष्मके नामसे इनकी ख्याति होगी)”
tato 'ntarikṣe 'psaraso devāḥ sarṣigaṇās tadā | abhyavarṣanta kusumair bhīṣmo 'yam iti cābruvan ||
Entonces, en el cielo, las apsaras, los dioses y los videntes, juntos, hicieron llover flores y proclamaron: «¡Este es Bhīṣma!»—dando a entender que, por su voto sobrecogedor y su firmeza inquebrantable, el príncipe sería célebre con el nombre de Bhīṣma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A resolute vow undertaken for a perceived higher duty can define one’s identity and legacy; the verse highlights how extraordinary self-restraint and steadfastness are publicly recognized as moral power (bhīṣmatā), even when the vow is daunting in its personal cost.
After the prince’s formidable pledge, celestial beings—Apsarases, gods, and sages—shower flowers from the sky and acclaim him as “Bhīṣma,” indicating that this act of terrible resolve becomes the basis of his celebrated name and fame.