Shloka 96
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
उवाच भीष्मस्तमनन्तपौरुषं गोविन्दमाजावविमूढचेता: । एह्ोहि देवेश जगन्निवास नमोस्तु ते माधव चक्रपाणे,उस समय युद्ध स्थलमें भीष्मके चित्तमें तनिक भी मोह नहीं था। वे अनन्त पुरुषार्थशाली भगवान् श्रीकृष्णका आह्वान करते हुए बोले--“आइये, आइये, देवेश्वर! जगन्निवास! आपको नमस्कार है। हाथमें चक्र लिये आये हुए माधव! सबको शरण देनेवाले लोकनाथ! आज युद्धभूमिमें बलपूर्वक इस उत्तम रथसे मुझे मार गिराइये
sañjaya uvāca | uvāca bhīṣmas tam anantapauruṣaṁ govindam ājāv avimūḍhacetāḥ | ehy ehi deveśa jagannivāsa namo 'stu te mādhava cakrapāṇe |
Sanjaya said: Then Bhishma, his mind unclouded even on the battlefield, addressed Govinda—whose valor is without limit—and cried out: “Come, come, Lord of the gods, dwelling-place of the world! Homage to you, Madhava, bearer of the discus!” In this moment Bhishma’s words frame the battle not as personal hatred but as a dharmic culmination: he calls upon Krishna as the supreme refuge and rightful arbiter of fate, inviting the divine to act decisively in the war’s moral crisis.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violence and impending death, clarity of mind and surrender to the highest dharma are upheld: Bhishma, without delusion, recognizes Krishna as the supreme lord and refuge, framing the battle’s outcome as ultimately governed by divine order rather than personal animosity.
Sanjaya reports that Bhishma, steady and undeluded in the fight, directly addresses Krishna with urgent reverence—calling him ‘Lord of the gods’ and ‘dwelling of the world’—as if inviting Krishna’s decisive intervention on the battlefield.