Shloka 21
Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti
ऋते शान्तनवाद् भीष्मात् त्रिषु लोकेषु पार्थिव । सत्यधर्मान्महावीर्याच्छूराद् धर्मेकतत्परात्
ṛte śāntanavād bhīṣmāt triṣu lokeṣu pārthiva | satyadharmān mahāvīryāc chūrād dharmaikatatparāt ||
വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ പൃഥ്വീനാഥാ! മൂന്നു ലോകങ്ങളിലും ശാന്തനുനന്ദനൻ ഭീഷ്മനെ ഒഴികെ—സത്യവാൻ, ധർമ്മനിഷ്ഠൻ, മഹാവീര്യശാലിയായ ശൂരൻ, ധർമ്മത്തിൽ ഏകാഗ്രൻ—ഇത്തരമൊരു മറ്റൊരാളെ ഞാൻ കേട്ടിട്ടില്ല.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates steadfast commitment to truth and dharma, showing that disciplined tapas and unwavering vows can grant extraordinary self-mastery—so profound that even the timing of death may be restrained.
Vaiśampāyana praises Bhīṣma as uniquely unparalleled across the three worlds: a dharma-centered hero whose ascetic power and vow enabled him to postpone the body’s natural death, a hallmark of Bhīṣma’s famed control over his end.