Shloka 19
Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)
अर्जुन: पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ: पुरंदरसुतो बली,प्राचीन सनातन देवता और प्रजापालक वीरवर भगवान् नर इन्द्रपुत्र महाबली पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ अर्जुनके रूपमें प्रकट होंगे तथा पराक्रमसम्पन्न होकर तीनों लोकोंमें सव्यसाचीके नामसे विख्यात होंगे। स्वयम्भू ब्रह्माजीने उन््हींको यथासमय भीष्मकी मृत्युमें कारण बनाया है
arjunaḥ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭhaḥ purandarasuto balī | prācīnaḥ sanātano devatā ca prajā-pālako vīravaraḥ bhagavān nara indraputraḥ mahābalī pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha arjunasya rūpeṇa prakaṭībhaviṣyati tathā parākrama-sampannaḥ san trīṣu lokeṣu savyasācīti nāmnā vikhyātaḥ bhaviṣyati | svayambhū brahmā taṃ yathāsamayaṃ bhīṣmasya mṛtyau kāraṇaṃ kṛtavān iti |
भीष्म उवाच—अर्जुनः पाण्डवश्रेष्ठः पुरन्दरसुतो बली । प्राचीनः सनातनो देवता प्रजापालको वीरवरः भगवान् नर इन्द्रपुत्रो महाबली । पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ अर्जुनरूपेण प्रकटिष्यति, पराक्रमसम्पन्नः सन् त्रिषु लोकेषु सव्यसाचीति विख्यातो भविष्यति । स्वयम्भूर्ब्रह्मा यथाकालं मम मृत्यौ तमेव कारणं कृतवान् ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heroic agency operates within a larger moral-cosmic order: Arjuna’s prowess is affirmed, yet Bhishma frames even his own death as occurring by Brahmā’s appointed design, emphasizing instrumentality and destiny alongside personal valor.
Bhishma identifies Arjuna as the manifestation of the ancient divine being Nara, foretells his renown as Savyasācin across the three worlds, and states that Brahmā has destined Arjuna to be the instrumental cause connected with Bhishma’s death at the proper time.