Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
आत्मज्ञानमिदं ज्ञान ज्ञात्वा पज्चस्ववस्थितम् । य॑ं ज्ञानेनाभिगच्छन्ति तस्मै ज्ञानात्मने नम:
Bhīṣma uvāca: ātmajñānam idaṃ jñānaṃ jñātvā pañca-svavasthitam | yaṃ jñānenābhigacchanti tasmai jñānātmane namaḥ ||
ਅੰਨਮਯ ਆਦਿ ਪੰਜ ਕੋਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਦੇ ਆਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਇਸ ਗਿਆਨ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣ ਕੇ, ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਬੋਧ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਿਦਵਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ—ਉਸ ਗਿਆਨ-ਸਰੂਪ ਪਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਮ ਹੈ।
भीष्म उवाच
True liberation-oriented wisdom is Self-knowledge: discerning the innermost Self as present through the five sheaths (often understood as annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, vijñānamaya, ānandamaya) and, by purified insight, reaching Brahman whose nature is pure consciousness/knowledge.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues his discourse on dharma and the highest good. Here he offers a reverential conclusion to a teaching on inner realization, saluting the supreme principle attained by the wise through Self-knowledge.