Shloka 34

Bhīṣmadeva’s Passing Away in the Presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

युधि तुरगरजोविधूम्रविष्वक्- कचलुलितश्रमवार्यलङ्‍कृतास्ये । मम निशितशरैर्विभिद्यमान- त्वचि विलसत्कवचेऽस्तु कृष्ण आत्मा ॥ ३४ ॥

Transliteration

yudhi turaga-rajo-vidhūmra-viṣvak- kaca-lulita-śramavāry-alaṅkṛtāsye mama niśita-śarair vibhidyamāna- tvaci vilasat-kavace ’stu kṛṣṇa ātmā

Translation

ในสนามรบ เส้นพระเกศาของพระกฤษณะกลายเป็นสีเถ้าเนื่องจากฝุ่นที่ฟุ้งกระจายจากกีบม้า และด้วยความตรากตรำ พระเสโทจึงผุดพรายบนพระพักตร์ ขอให้จิตใจของข้าพเจ้าจดจ่ออยู่ที่พระกฤษณะผู้ทรงประดับด้วยบาดแผลจากลูกธนูของข้าพเจ้า

Synonyms

• yudhi: in battle
• yudhi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yudh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘युद्ध’/‘युध्’ इत्यस्य लोके ‘युधि’ = in battle (locative)

• turaga-rajaḥ-vidhūmra-viṣvak-kaca-lulita-śrama-vāri-alaṅkṛta-āsye: (in battle) with face adorned by sweat-water, hair disheveled, dust-smoked from horses all around
• turaga-rajaḥ-vidhūmra-viṣvak-kaca-lulita-śrama-vāri-alaṅkṛta-āsye: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: turaga (प्रातिपदिक) + rajas (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhūmra (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣvak (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + kaca (प्रातिपदिक) + lulita (√lul/√luṭ? कृदन्त, past passive participle sense ‘tossed’) + śrama (प्रातिपदिक) + vāri (प्रातिपदिक) + alaṅkṛta (√kṛ, कृदन्त PPP) + āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘यस्याः आस्यं …’ इति—qualifying (locative) ‘(in the one) whose face is adorned…’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; pronoun—‘of me / my’

• niśita-śaraiḥ: with sharp arrows
• niśita-śaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśita (√śā/√śi? कृदन्त ‘sharpened’) + śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘sharp arrows’); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• vibhidyamāna-tvaci: on the skin being pierced
• vibhidyamāna-tvaci: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-√bhid (धातु) + yamāna (कृदन्त, वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/मध्य? ‘being pierced’) + tvac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘त्वचि’ with participial qualifier ‘being pierced’

• vilasat-kavace: in the shining armor
• vilasat-kavace: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vilasat (√las, कृदन्त वर्तमानकाले ‘shining’) + kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘in the shining armor’

• astu: may (he) be
• astu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘let there be’

• kṛṣṇaḥ: Krishna
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ātmā: the Self (inner soul)
• ātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; apposition to kṛṣṇaḥ

Purport

The Lord is the absolute form of eternity, bliss and knowledge. As such, transcendental loving service to the Lord in one of the five principal relations, namely śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya, i.e., neutrality, servitorship, fraternity, parental affection and conjugal love, is graciously accepted by the Lord when offered to the Lord in genuine love and affection. Śrī Bhīṣmadeva is a great devotee of the Lord in the relation of servitorship. Thus his throwing of sharp arrows at the transcendental body of the Lord is as good as the worship of another devotee who throws soft roses upon Him.

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Bhishma

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about remembering Krishna at the time of death?

This verse shows Bhishma fixing his mind on Krishna’s battlefield form even as he departs—teaching that sincere remembrance of the Lord at life’s end is a powerful culmination of bhakti.

Why did Bhishma describe Krishna as being pierced by his own arrows?

Bhishma recalls Krishna’s intimate participation in the battle—accepting even danger and wounds for His devotee’s sake—so that Bhishma’s mind remains absorbed in Krishna’s merciful, human-like pastimes.

Practical application of Bhishma’s meditation on Krishna in modern life?

Choose a vivid, personal form of Krishna to remember daily (a scene, name, or pastime) so that devotion becomes natural and steady, especially during difficulty.