Shloka 37
Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga
Body-Relinquishment
अनादिनिधन देवमात्मयोनिं सनातनम् | अप्रेक्ष्यमनभिकज्ञेयं हरिं नारायणं प्रभुम्
bhīṣma uvāca | anādinidhanaṁ devam ātmayoniṁ sanātanam | apreksyam anabhijñeyaṁ hariṁ nārāyaṇaṁ prabhum |
毗湿摩言：我归依于诃利——那罗延，至上之主；无始无终，自生自有，常住不灭；超越诸根之境，亦非凡情所能尽知。彼虽为一，而现多身；以超越诸根及其所缘，故名“阿陀诃叉阇”（Adhokṣaja）。彼能圆满奉敬者之所愿；一心专注于祭祀与供养之信徒，皆礼赞供奉于彼。彼为世间之宝藏，为一切众生所依止之基；如水鸟栖息于水，宇宙万象之运动亦皆依彼而行。彼为第一义谛，为一音之梵（普罗那瓦 Praṇava），超出显与不显；无初、无中、无终。诸天与仙圣亦不能尽知彼；然天众、阿修罗、乾闼婆、成就者、仙人及大力龙族，摄心制根，恒常礼拜于彼。彼为治忧苦之病的至大良药——离生离死，自存自立，常恒不变——非此肉眼所能见，亦非智识所能尽摄。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) in the supreme Lord who transcends sensory perception and conceptual grasp, yet sustains the cosmos and heals existential sorrow. It links devotion and worship with the recognition of an ultimate reality beyond sat and asat, identified with Praṇava (Oṁ) and Brahman.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and higher truths. Here he offers a hymn-like declaration of refuge in Nārāyaṇa, describing the Lord’s transcendence, cosmic support, and the universal worship offered by gods, sages, and other beings.