Shloka 13
Bhīṣma’s Hymn to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s Criteria for Divine Self-Disclosure
न हाभक्ताय राजेन्द्र भक्तायानृजवे न च । दर्शयाम्यहमात्मानं न चाशान्ताय भारत
na hābhaktāya rājendra bhaktāyānṛjave na ca | darśayāmy aham ātmānaṁ na cāśāntāya bhārata | arhastvaṁ bhīṣma māṁ draṣṭuṁ tapasā svena pārthiva | tava hy upasthitā lokā yebhyo nāvartate punaḥ ||
Vāyu bersabda: “Wahai raja, kepada yang tanpa bhakti aku tidak menampakkan diriku; dan kepada yang berbhakti namun tidak lurus hatinya pun tidak. Wahai Bhārata, kepada yang tak tenteram aku juga tidak memperlihatkan wujudku. Tetapi engkau, Bhīṣma, layak memandangku oleh kekuatan tapa-bratamu sendiri, wahai penguasa. Bagimu dunia-dunia itu telah disiapkan—alam-alam ilahi yang setelah dicapai tiada kembali lagi.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Divine revelation is conditioned by inner qualifications: devotion must be joined with straightforward integrity (ārjava) and peace of mind (śānti). Austerity (tapas) grounded in these virtues makes one fit for higher realization and the attainment of realms described as ‘non-returning’ (apunarāvṛtti).
Vāyudeva addresses Bhīṣma, stating that he does not manifest to those lacking devotion, lacking rectitude, or lacking inner peace. He then affirms Bhīṣma’s eligibility—earned through his own tapas—and declares that exalted worlds are already prepared for him, from which one does not return to mortal existence.