Shloka 44

Bhīṣma’s Yogic Departure, Royal Cremation, and Gaṅgā’s Lament (भीष्मस्य योगयुक्त्या देहत्यागः, पितृमेधः, गङ्गाविलापः)

Devanagari script

प्रभावश्चर्षिपूगस्य कथित: सुमहान्‌ मया । महेश्वरस्य संवादं शैलपुत्र्याश्न भारत,महाराज! व्यासजी तथा बुद्धिमान्‌ नारदजीके वचन सुनकर मैंने परम पूज्य श्रीकृष्ण तथा महर्षियोंके महान्‌ प्रभावका वर्णन किया है। भारत! गिरिराजनन्दिनी उमा और महेश्वरका जो संवाद हुआ था, उसका भी मैंने उल्लेख किया है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | prabhāvaś cārṣipūgasya kathitaḥ sumahān mayā | maheśvarasya saṃvādaṃ śailaputryāś ca bhārata ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഭാരതാ! ഋഷിസമൂഹത്തിന്റെ അത്യന്തം മഹത്തായ പ്രഭാവം ഞാൻ വിവരിച്ചു. മഹേശ്വരനും ശൈലപുത്രിയായ (ഉമാ)യും തമ്മിൽ നടന്ന ആ പവിത്ര സംവാദവും ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ധർമ്മവും ഭക്തിയും ഉപദേശിക്കുന്ന മാതൃകയായ സംവാദം അത്.

Word by Word

• {'prabhāvaḥ': 'power, majesty, spiritual efficacy, influence', 'ca': 'and', 'ṛṣi-pūgaḥ (ārṣipūgaḥ)': 'a multitude/assembly of sages (ṛṣis)', 'kathitaḥ': 'told, narrated, described', 'su-mahān': 'very great, exceedingly vast', 'mayā': 'by me', 'maheśvaraḥ': 'Maheshvara

• the Great Lord (Śiva)', 'saṃvādaḥ': 'dialogue, discourse, conversation (often didactic)', 'śaila-putrī': 'daughter of the mountain

• Pārvatī/Umā', 'bhārata': 'O Bharata

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Bharata (Yudhishthira as addressee)
• Rishis (assembly of sages)
• Maheshvara (Shiva)
• Shailaputri (Uma/Parvati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the authority of dharmic instruction transmitted through revered sages and through paradigmatic divine dialogues (Śiva–Umā), implying that ethical understanding is strengthened by listening to and preserving such sacred teachings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, continuing his instruction to Yudhishthira, summarizes what he has already narrated: the great influence of the sages and the account of the discourse between Maheshvara (Śiva) and Uma (Pārvatī).