Shloka 18
Bhīṣma’s Yogic Departure, Royal Cremation, and Gaṅgā’s Lament (भीष्मस्य योगयुक्त्या देहत्यागः, पितृमेधः, गङ्गाविलापः)
भीष्म उवाच तत:ः प्रणम्य देवेशं यादवं पुरुषोत्तमम् | प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य प्रजग्मुस्ते महर्षय:
bhīṣma uvāca tataḥ praṇamya deveśaṃ yādavaṃ puruṣottamam | pradakṣiṇam upāvṛtya prajagmus te maharṣayaḥ ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Sau đó, các bậc đại hiền ấy cúi mình đảnh lễ Đấng Chúa tể của chư thiên—Kṛṣṇa của dòng Yadu, Đấng Tối Thượng—rồi kính cẩn đi nhiễu quanh Ngài, và từ biệt ra đi.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores ācāra (right conduct): bowing and circumambulating a worthy object of reverence—here Krishna as Purushottama—expresses humility and recognition of dharma’s divine foundation. Even great sages model this disciplined respect.
After an earlier exchange, the assembled great sages offer obeisance to Krishna, perform pradakṣiṇā as a formal gesture of honor, and then depart. Bhishma reports this to Yudhishthira within the Anushasana Parva’s instruction-focused setting.