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 |
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Si Arjuna, ang pinakadakila sa mga Pāṇḍava—makapangyarihan, anak ni Purandara (Indra)—ay yaong sinaunang at walang-hanggang banal na nilalang, tagapangalaga ng mga nilikha, pinakamarangal na bayani: ang pinagpalang Nara, anak ni Indra. Siya’y magpapakita sa anyo ni Arjuna; at taglay ang kagitingan, kikilalanin sa tatlong daigdig sa pangalang ‘Savyasācin’ (ang mamamanang bihasa sa dalawang kamay). Itinakda ng Sariling-Silang na Brahmā, sa takdang panahon, na siya ang maging kasangkapan sa bagay ng aking kamatayan.”
भीष्म उवाच
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.