Shloka 19
Bhīṣma’s Dream-Counsel and the Prasvāpa Astra (भीष्मस्वप्नदर्शनम् / प्रस्वापास्त्रोपदेशः)
अर्जुन: पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ: पुरंदरसुतो बली
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 |
毗湿摩说道：“阿周那，般度五子中最卓越者——勇力无双，普兰达罗（因陀罗）之子——正是那位古老而永恒的神圣存在，护持众生的主宰，英雄之最：吉祥的那罗，因陀罗之子。他将以阿周那之形显现；具足威武，将以‘娑毗耶娑支’（双手皆善射之弓手）之名，名闻三界。自生的梵天已在适当之时，立他为我之死的因缘与器具。”
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.