Shloka 70
भीष्मस्य भीमसेन-निरोधः
Bhīṣma checks Bhīmasena; matched engagements intensify
सृष्टवा संकर्षणं देवं स्वयमात्मानमात्मना । कृष्ण त्वमात्मनासाक्षी: प्रद्मुम्नं चात्मसम्भवम्
sṛṣṭvā saṅkarṣaṇaṃ devaṃ svayam ātmānam ātmanā | kṛṣṇa tvam ātmanā sākṣīḥ pradyumnaṃ cātma-sambhavam ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Kṛṣṇa, dengan Diri-Mu sendiri Engkau menzahirkan Diri-Mu sebagai dewa Saṅkarṣaṇa; dan sekali lagi, daripada diri-Mu juga Engkau melahirkan Pradyumna, yang terbit daripada hakikat-Mu sendiri. Maka Engkau berdiri sebagai saksi batin—terjadi dengan sendirinya, menyingkapkan diri-Nya sendiri, dan menjadi punca segala pancaran-Mu.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents Kṛṣṇa as the self-existent inner witness (sākṣī) who manifests divine forms from his own essence. Ethically and devotionally, it grounds reverence in the idea that the supreme source is self-caused and sustains order (dharma) through purposeful self-manifestation.
Bhīṣma addresses Kṛṣṇa with theological praise, describing how Kṛṣṇa manifests Saṅkarṣaṇa and brings forth Pradyumna from himself. The statement functions as a recognition of Kṛṣṇa’s supreme status and his role as the underlying witness amid the war narrative.