Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
तद् यस्य नाभ्यां सम्भूतं यस्मिन् विश्व प्रतिष्ठितम् । पुष्करे पुष्कराक्षस्य तस्मै पद्मात्मने नम:
tad yasya nābhyāṃ sambhūtaṃ yasmin viśvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam | puṣkare puṣkarākṣasya tasmai padmātmane namaḥ ||
ភីṣ្មៈបានមានពាក្យថា៖ «សូមនមស្ការចំពោះព្រះអម្ចាស់ដ៏មានព្រះហឫទ័យជាកមល—ពុន្ឌរីកាក្សៈ—ពីផ្ចិតរបស់ព្រះអង្គបានកើតឡើងកមលកោស्मिक ហើយលើព្រះអង្គនេះឯង សកលលោកទាំងមូលត្រូវបានបង្កើតឱ្យឈរមាំ។»
भीष्म उवाच
The verse teaches reverent recognition of the Supreme Lord as the foundation of the cosmos: the universe is established in Him, and even the cosmic lotus is said to arise from His navel. Ethically, it encourages humility and devotion—acknowledging a higher ground of order (dharma) beyond individual ego and power.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct after the war. Here he offers a brief hymn of salutation to Puṣkarākṣa (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa), invoking cosmic imagery (the navel-born lotus and the universe resting in Him) to frame his teaching within devotion and metaphysical grounding.