Shloka 9
Bhīṣma’s Hymn to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s Criteria for Divine Self-Disclosure
त्वत्प्रपन्नाय भक्ताय गतिमिष्टां जिगीषवे । यच्छेय: पुण्डरीकाक्ष तद् ध्यायस्व सुरोत्तम,मैं आपकी शरणमें आया हुआ आपका भक्त हूँ, और अभीष्ट गतिको प्राप्त करना चाहता हूँ। कमलनयन! सुरश्रेष्ठ! मेरे लिये जो कल्याणकारी उपाय हो उसीका संकल्प कीजिये
tvatprapannāya bhaktāya gatimiṣṭāṃ jigīṣave | yaccheyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣa tad dhyāyasva surottama ||
Bhishma disse: “Tomei refúgio em Ti como Teu servo devoto e busco alcançar o supremo destino desejado. Ó de olhos de lótus, ó o melhor entre os deuses—resolve em Teu coração o que é verdadeiramente benéfico para mim e concede-me esse meio salvador.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and the pursuit of śreyas (true, lasting good). Bhīṣma, facing the end of life, does not ask for worldly gain but for the divinely guided means to attain the highest desired gati—implying ethical and spiritual welfare over transient pleasure.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma—lying on the bed of arrows and instructing Yudhiṣṭhira—turns in devotion to the supreme Lord addressed as Puṇḍarīkākṣa and Surottama. He declares himself surrendered and asks the deity to determine and grant what is truly beneficial for him, reflecting a moment of personal supplication within the broader discourse on dharma.