Shloka 33
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
यमेकं बहुधा55त्मानं प्रादुर्भूतमधोक्षजम् । नान्यभक्ता: क्रियावन्तो यजन्ते सर्वकामदम्
yam ekaṁ bahudhā ātmānaṁ prādurbhūtam adhokṣajam | nānyabhaktāḥ kriyāvanto yajante sarvakāmadam ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Lui qui est Un et pourtant se manifeste en d’innombrables formes—le Transcendant (Adhokṣaja), hors de portée des sens—, Lui, l’accomplisseur de tous les désirs, les dévots l’adorent par les sacrifices et les actes de piété, d’une fidélité sans partage.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the supreme reality is essentially one yet manifests in many forms, and that such a transcendent Lord—beyond sensory grasp—is best approached through exclusive devotion expressed in worship and righteous ritual action.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and higher spiritual aims; here he praises the supreme deity (Adhokṣaja/Nārāyaṇa) and describes how single-minded devotees worship Him through sacrificial and devotional practices.