Shloka 50
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
(विश्वे च मरुतश्लैव रुद्रादित्याश्विनावपि । वसव: सिद्धसाध्याक्ष तस्मै देवात्मने नमः ।।
yastanoti satāṃ setum ṛtenāmṛtayoninā | dharmārthavyavahārāj jñais tasmai satyātmane namaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: Salutations to that Lord whose very nature is Truth—who, by the power of ṛta (cosmic order) and as the source of immortality, establishes a secure bridge for the righteous, and who is recognized by the wise through the proper conduct of dharma and artha in human life.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True devotion is inseparable from truth and ethical living: the Supreme is praised as ‘Truth itself’ who provides a reliable passage for the righteous, and is known not merely by speculation but through dharma- and artha-guided conduct in the world.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma continues a hymn of salutations to the Supreme, naming divine qualities. Here he concludes a segment by honoring the Lord as the Truth-essence who upholds cosmic order and supports the virtuous like a bridge across peril.