Shloka 13
उपानीतं तु पानीयं दृष्टवा शान्तनवोडब्रवीत् | नाद्यातीता मया शक््या भोगा: केचन मानुषा:
sañjaya uvāca | upānītaṃ tu pānīyaṃ dṛṣṭvā śāntanavo 'bravīt | nādyātītā mayā śakyā bhogāḥ kecin mānuṣāḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Melihat air yang dibawa itu, Bhīṣma putera Śāntanu berkata: “Kini aku tidak lagi mampu menikmati apa pun kenikmatan dunia manusia; semuanya telah aku tinggalkan. Walau aku terbaring di sini di atas hamparan anak panah, aku telah melampaui lingkungan manusia biasa. Aku tinggal di sini hanya menanti saat matahari dan bulan beralih ke perjalanan utara.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma models vairagya (detachment): even amid extreme suffering he refuses ordinary comforts, indicating that one who has consciously turned toward the higher good should not be ruled by sense-pleasures. His waiting for uttarāyaṇa underscores disciplined, dharmic self-mastery and a deliberate, mindful approach to death.
On the battlefield, Bhishma lies on a bed of arrows. When water is brought to him, he declines, declaring he has left behind human enjoyments and is remaining alive only to await the auspicious northern course (uttarāyaṇa) before departing.