Shloka 3
(शुक्लपक्षस्य चाष्टम्यां माघमासस्य पार्थिव | प्राजापत्ये च नक्षत्रे मध्यं प्राप्ते दिवाकरे ।।) निवृत्तमात्रे त्वयन उत्तरे वै दिवाकरे । समावेशयदात्मानमात्मन्येव समाहित:,राजन्! जब दक्षिणायन समाप्त हुआ और सूर्य उत्तरायणमें आ गये, तब माघमासके शुक्लपक्षकी अष्टमी तिथिको रोहिणीनक्षत्रमें मध्याह्यके समय भीष्मजीने ध्यान-मग्न होकर अपने मनको परमात्मामें लगा दिया
Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
śuklapakṣasya cāṣṭamyāṃ māghamāsasya pārthiva |
prājāpatye ca nakṣatre madhyaṃ prāpte divākare ||
nivṛttamātre tvayane uttare vai divākare |
samāveśayad ātmānam ātmany eva samāhitaḥ ||
हे राजन्! दक्षिणायन संपून सूर्य उत्तरायणास लागला तेव्हा, माघमासाच्या शुक्लपक्षातील अष्टमीस प्राजापत्य नक्षत्रात मध्याह्नी, समाहितचित्त भीष्मांनी आपला आत्मा परमात्म्यातच स्थिर केला.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined self-mastery at life’s end: Bhīṣma waits for an auspicious, dharmically significant time (Uttarāyaṇa) and then, with a collected mind, turns inward—placing the individual self in the Supreme Self—presenting an ideal of conscious, ethical, and yogic departure.
As the sun turns from Dakṣiṇāyana to Uttarāyaṇa, on Māgha bright eighth day at midday under the Prajāpati/Rohiṇī asterism, Bhīṣma enters deep meditation and withdraws his consciousness inward, preparing for his chosen time of death while instructive discourse continues in the Śānti Parva setting.