12.051
Pancharatra: Bhishma recognizes and worships Krishna as Lord Vishnu. Krishna requests Bhishma to impart the vast knowledge he has to Yudhishthira.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
śrutvā tu vacanaṃ bhīṣmo vāsudevasya dhīmataḥ। kiñcidunnāmya vadanaṃ prāñjalirvākyamabravīt ॥12-51-1॥
After hearing the words of the wise Vasudeva, Bhishma slightly raised his face and, with joined palms, spoke as follows.
namaste bhagavan-viṣṇo lokānāṃ nidhanodbhava। tvaṃ hi kartā hṛṣīkeśa saṃhartā cāparājitaḥ ॥12-51-2॥
Salutations to you, O Lord Viṣṇu, who is both the origin and dissolution of the worlds. Truly, you are the creator, Hṛṣīkeśa, the destroyer, and the unconquered one.
viśvakarmannamaste'stu viśvātmanviśvasambhava। apavargo'si bhūtānāṃ pañcānāṃ parataḥ sthitaḥ ॥12-51-3॥
O Universal Creator, salutations to you! You are the soul and origin of the universe. You are liberation, existing beyond the five elements.
namaste triṣu lokeṣu namaste paratastriṣu। yogeśvara namaste'stu tvaṃ hi sarvaparáyaṇam ॥12-51-4॥
Salutations to you in all three worlds and beyond them. O Lord of Yoga, salutations to you; for you are truly the supreme refuge of all.
matsaṃśritaṃ yadāttha tvaṃ vacaḥ puruṣasattama। tena paśyāmi te divyānbhāvān hi triṣu vartmasu ॥12-51-5॥
O best among men, because of the words you have spoken as I have taken refuge in you, I now see your divine forms indeed in all three paths.
tac ca paśyāmi tattvena yat te rūpaṃ sanātanam। sapta mārgā niruddhās te vāyor amitatejasaḥ ॥12-51-6॥
And that, I see in reality your eternal form. The seven paths of the wind, of infinite brilliance, are restrained by you.
divaṃ te śirasā vyāptaṃ padbhyāṃ devī vasundharā। diśo bhujau raviścakṣurvīrye śakraḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ ॥12-51-7॥
O goddess, your head pervades the heavens, your feet the earth; your arms the directions, the sun is your eye, and Indra is established in your strength.
atasīpuṣpasaṅkāśaṃ pītavāsasamacyutam। vapurhyanumimīmaste meghasyeva savidyutaḥ ॥12-51-8॥
We perceive your imperishable form, yellow-robed and radiant like the flax flower, as if it were a cloud adorned with lightning.
tvat-prapannāya bhaktāya gatim iṣṭāṃ jigīṣave। yac chreyaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣa tad dhyāyasva surottama ॥12-51-9॥
O lotus-eyed one, for the devotee who has surrendered to you and seeks victory, meditate upon that path which is the highest good, O best of the gods.
vāsudeva uvāca॥
Vāsudeva said.
yataḥ khalu parā bhaktir mayi te puruṣarṣabha। tato vapur mayā divyaṃ tava rājan pradarśitam ॥12-51-10॥
O king, because you truly possess supreme devotion to me, O best of men, therefore I have revealed your divine form to you.
na hy abhaktāya rājendra bhaktāyā-nṛjave na ca। darśayāmy aham ātmānaṃ na cādāntāya bhārata॥12-51-11॥
O King, I do not reveal myself to the non-devoted, nor to the insincere even if devoted, nor to the undisciplined, O Bharata.
bhavāṃstu mama bhaktaśca nityaṃ cārjavamāsthitaḥ। dame tapasi satye ca dāne ca nirataḥ śuciḥ ॥12-51-12॥
But you are my devotee, always established in sincerity, constantly engaged in self-restraint, austerity, truth, and charity, and pure.
arhas tvaṃ bhīṣma māṃ draṣṭuṃ tapasā svena pārthiva। tava hy upasthitā lokā yebhyo nāvartate punaḥ ॥12-51-13॥
O Bhīṣma, by your own austerity you are worthy to see me, O king. Indeed, the worlds have come to you, from which there is no return.
pañcāśataṃ ṣaṭ ca kurupravīra; śeṣaṃ dinānāṃ tava jīvitasya. tataḥ śubhaiḥ karmaphalodayais tvaṃ; sameṣyase bhīṣma vimucya deham ॥12-51-14॥
O chief of the Kurus, fifty-six days remain of your life. Then, O Bhishma, by the auspicious arising of the fruits of your actions, you will attain release from the body.
ete hi devā vasavo vimānā; nyāsthāya sarve jvalitāgnikalpāḥ। antarhitāstvāṃ pratipālayanti; kāṣṭhāṃ prapadyantam udakpataṅgam ॥12-51-15॥
These Vasus, the gods, having descended in their celestial chariots, all like blazing fire, invisible, are watching you, as you approach the log like a water-insect.
vyāvṛttamātre bhagavatyudīcīṃ; sūrye diśaṃ kālavaśātprapanne. gantāsi lokānpuruṣapravīra; nāvartate yānupalabhya vidvān ॥12-51-16॥
O best among men, when the sun has entered the blessed northern direction by the force of time, you will go to those worlds which, having attained, the wise do not return from.
amuṃ ca lokaṃ tvayi bhīṣma yāte; jñānāni naṅkṣyantyakhilena vīra. ataḥ sma sarve tvayi saṃnikarṣaṃ; samāgatā dharmavivecanāya ॥12-51-17॥
O Bhīṣma, when you depart for that world, all knowledge will entirely perish, O hero. Therefore, all have indeed assembled near you for the discussion of dharma.
tajjñātiśokopahataśrutāya; satyābhisandhāya yudhiṣṭhirāya। prabrūhi dharmārthasamādhiyukta; mṛtyaṃ vaco'syāpanudāsya śokam ॥12-51-18॥
Speak to Yudhishthira, whose wisdom is afflicted by the grief of relatives and who is intent on truth, a word endowed with dharma and artha, by which you may dispel his mortal grief.
