Shloka 33
Adhyāya 69: Strategic duels under Bhīṣma’s command
Virāṭa–Bhīṣma; Arjuna–Aśvatthāmā; Bhīma–Duryodhana; Abhimanyu–Lakṣmaṇa
तस्माद् ब्रवीमि ते राजन्नेष वै शाश्वतोडव्यय: । सर्वलोकमयो नित्य: शास्ता धात्रीधरो ध्रुव:
tasmād bravīmi te rājann eṣa vai śāśvato ’vyayaḥ | sarvalokamayo nityaḥ śāstā dhātrīdharō dhruvaḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Maka, wahai Raja, aku katakan kepadamu: Dia—Śrī Kṛṣṇa—adalah kekal dan tidak binasa; merangkum segala dunia; penguasa dan penentu yang sentiasa hadir; pemikul bumi; dan asas yang teguh tidak tergoyahkan.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma identifies Kṛṣṇa as the eternal, imperishable cosmic ruler—an unshakable foundation of order (śāstā, dhruvaḥ). The ethical implication is that dharma is ultimately grounded in a stable divine principle, not in shifting battlefield outcomes.
In Bhīṣma Parva, amid the Kurukṣetra war setting, Bhīṣma addresses a king and affirms Kṛṣṇa’s supreme, world-encompassing nature, presenting him as the reliable authority and support in a time of conflict.