Shloka 2
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
वैशग्पायन उवाच शृणुष्वावहितो राजन् शुचिर्भूत्वा समाहित: । भीष्मस्य कुरुशार्दूल देहोत्सर्ग महात्मन:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! कुरुश्रेष्ठ॒ तुम सावधान, पवित्र और एकाग्रचित्त होकर महात्मा भीष्मके देहत्यागका वृत्तान्त सुनो
vaiśampāyana uvāca śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājan śucirbhūtvā samāhitaḥ | bhīṣmasya kuruśārdūla dehotsargaṃ mahātmanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja—harimau di antara kaum Kuru—dengarlah dengan sepenuh perhatian, setelah engkau menyucikan diri dan menghimpunkan batin. Aku akan menceritakan perihal bagaimana Bhīṣma yang berhati agung melepaskan jasadnya.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the discipline of receiving dharmic instruction: one should listen with attentiveness, purity, and mental composure. The framing implies that accounts of a great person’s final renunciation are ethically formative and should be approached as sacred learning, not casual storytelling.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and prepares to narrate the episode of Bhīṣma’s dehotsarga—his deliberate relinquishing of the body. This serves as a transition into the solemn account of Bhīṣma’s final moments and their significance.