Shloka 21
Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti
ऋते शान्तनवाद् भीष्मात् त्रिषु लोकेषु पार्थिव । सत्यधर्मान्महावीर्याच्छूराद् धर्मेकतत्परात्
ṛte śāntanavād bhīṣmāt triṣu lokeṣu pārthiva | satyadharmān mahāvīryāc chūrād dharmaikatatparāt ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Oh rey, en los tres mundos no he oído de nadie, salvo de Bhīṣma, hijo de Śāntanu—veraz y justo, héroe de gran poder, guerrero valiente enteramente consagrado al dharma—que, por la fuerza de su austeridad y su voto, haya contenido la muerte natural que le llega al cuerpo».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates steadfast commitment to truth and dharma, showing that disciplined tapas and unwavering vows can grant extraordinary self-mastery—so profound that even the timing of death may be restrained.
Vaiśampāyana praises Bhīṣma as uniquely unparalleled across the three worlds: a dharma-centered hero whose ascetic power and vow enabled him to postpone the body’s natural death, a hallmark of Bhīṣma’s famed control over his end.