Shloka 2
धारयामास चात्मानं धारणासु यथाक्रमम् | तस्योर्ध्वमगमन् प्राणा: संनिरुद्धा महात्मन:
dhārayāmāsa cātmānaṃ dhāraṇāsu yathākramam | tasyordhvam agaman prāṇāḥ saṃniruddhā mahātmanaḥ |
Bhīṣma meneguhkan dirinya, menempatkannya setahap demi setahap ke dalam dhāraṇā-dhāraṇā yoga yang berurutan. Sesudah itu, prāṇa sang mahatma—terkendali oleh disiplin yoga—mulai naik ke arah atas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights yogic self-mastery: through ordered dhāraṇā (focused concentration), one can restrain the prāṇas and face death with awareness and discipline, aligning one’s end with dharma rather than being driven by fear or agitation.
Bhīṣma, lying on his bed of arrows, enters successive yogic concentrations. As he restrains his life-breaths, they begin to move upward—signaling his deliberate, controlled approach toward leaving the body.