Shloka 9
Bhīṣma’s Hymn to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s Criteria for Divine Self-Disclosure
त्वत्प्रपन्नाय भक्ताय गतिमिष्टां जिगीषवे । यच्छेय: पुण्डरीकाक्ष तद् ध्यायस्व सुरोत्तम
tvatprapannāya bhaktāya gatimiṣṭāṃ jigīṣave | yaccheyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣa tad dhyāyasva surottama ||
ビーシュマは言った。「私はあなたに帰依した忠実な僕であり、望む最高の道—福徳と解脱—に到達したいのです。蓮華の御眼の方よ、神々の中の最勝者よ、私にとって真に益ある方策を御心に定め、その救いの手立てをお授けください。」
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and the pursuit of śreyas (true, lasting good). Bhīṣma, facing the end of life, does not ask for worldly gain but for the divinely guided means to attain the highest desired gati—implying ethical and spiritual welfare over transient pleasure.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma—lying on the bed of arrows and instructing Yudhiṣṭhira—turns in devotion to the supreme Lord addressed as Puṇḍarīkākṣa and Surottama. He declares himself surrendered and asks the deity to determine and grant what is truly beneficial for him, reflecting a moment of personal supplication within the broader discourse on dharma.