Shloka 166
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
तया व्याससमासिन्या प्रीयतां पुरुषोत्तम: । भीष्मजी बोले--मैं श्रीकृष्णके आराधनकी इच्छा मनमें लेकर जिस वाणीका प्रयोग करना चाहता हूँ, वह विस्तृत हो या संक्षिप्त, उसके द्वारा वे पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण मुझपर प्रसन्न हों
tayā vyāsasamāsin̄yā prīyatāṁ puruṣottamaḥ |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Semoga Sang Purusottama berkenan atas tuturku ini—baik terurai panjang maupun terhimpun singkat—yang kuucapkan dengan niat memuja Śrī Kṛṣṇa di dalam hati.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes devotional intention over rhetorical form: whether one speaks at length or briefly, what matters ethically and spiritually is the inner aim—offering one’s words as worship and seeking the Lord’s pleasure with humility.
Bhishma, speaking in the Śānti Parva, frames his discourse as an act of devotion. Before continuing his instruction, he offers a benediction that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Puruṣottama, may be pleased with his forthcoming words, regardless of their expansiveness or brevity.