Shloka 53
भीष्मस्य भीमसेन-निरोधः
Bhīṣma checks Bhīmasena; matched engagements intensify
व्यक्ताव्यक्तामितस्थान नियतेन्द्रिय सत्क्रिय । असंख्येयात्मभावज्ञ जय गम्भीर कामद,व्यक्त और अव्यक्त--सब आपहीका स्वरूप है, आपके रहनेका स्थान असीम-अनन्त है, आप इन्द्रियोंके नियन्ता हैं। आपके सभी कर्म शुभ-ही-शुभ हैं। आपकी कोई इयत्ता नहीं है, आप आत्मस्वरूपके ज्ञाता, स्वभावतः गम्भीर और भक्तोंकी कामनाएँ पूर्ण करनेवाले हैं; आपकी जय हो
bhīṣma uvāca | vyaktāvyaktāmitasthāna niyatendriya satkriya | asaṅkhyeyātmabhāvajña jaya gambhīra kāmada ||
Bhishma said: You are yourself both the manifest and the unmanifest. Your abode and expanse are immeasurable and limitless. You are the governor of the senses, and all your actions are wholly auspicious. You are beyond all counting and measure; you know the truth of the Self and the inner nature of beings. By your very nature you are profound, and you fulfill the desires of your devotees. Victory to you.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a theological synthesis: the supreme reality is both manifest (vyakta) and unmanifest (avyakta), transcending measure, yet actively governing the senses and acting only for auspicious ends. It also links devotion with grace—God is ‘kāma-da’, the fulfiller of devotees’ rightful aspirations—while affirming the deity as knower of the Self (ātma-bhāva-jña), grounding devotion in spiritual knowledge.
In Bhīṣma-parvan, Bhishma offers a hymn of praise (stuti) to the supreme Lord, extolling divine qualities—limitlessness, inner governance, auspicious action, profundity, and boon-giving power—culminating in the acclamation ‘jaya’ (victory to you).