Bhishma Stuti: Final Prayers of Bhishma
Moving prayers to Krishna offered by Bhishma from the deathbed of arrows
The glorious work of Srimad Bhagavatam effortlessly brings forth the meditative state of true bliss that is unconditional love for all beings through motiveless devotion to the Source that is common to all.
This Source is the Absolute Truth that is described in great detail with philosophical expositions and moving stories, all in the form of exquisite poetry in Bhagavatam. Here is a detailed introduction to the work itself:
Specifically, the Absolute Truth is defined in threefold aspects:
1. Brahman — the Supreme Being that is pure Consciousness
2. Paramatma — the Self of all embodied beings as the unaffected witness
3. Bhagavan — the Divine Avatar or Descent of the Supreme Being into the world of matter
By expanding upon these three aspects as the manifestation of the One Supreme, Bhagavatam brings forth an effortless harmony of devotion, wisdom and peace that is free of both dull intellectualism and sectarian sentimentalism.
One of the finest examples of this harmony is brought forth in the final prayers of Bhishma, the great warrior of Mahabharat. Known famously as Bhishma Stuti, this is a fine example of the nectar of Bhagavatam and how it harmonizes the Personal and Impersonal aspects of the Divine seamlessly.
As a quick background, Bhishma was the patriarch of the Kuru clan who fought an internecine war (Mahabharat) due to the envy of one set of cousins (the evil Kauravas) against the righteous cousins (the virtuous Pandavas).
The Pandavas with Arjuna as the main warrior were surrendered to the Supreme Lord Krishna who out of His great compassion became the charioteer for His dear friend Arjuna. But Krishna made a vow that He would only be the charioteer and will not pick up any weapon in the war.
Meanwhile Bhishma, due to his oath of loyalty to the Kauravas headed by Duryodhana, had to fight on the wrong side of the war against his beloved Arjuna and the Pandavas. And yet, Bhishma was also fully surrendered in his heart to Krishna. This led to the predicament of Arjuna to take arms against his own grandfather Bhishma and many other relatives and friends. When he refused to fight because of this very predicament, Krishna famously taught him the timeless message of Bhagavad Gita. A detailed introduction to the Bhagavad Gita can be seen here:
Once the war began with its unmatched intensity and destruction, one of the moving battles of the war was the one directly between Arjuna and Bhishma. Arjuna being his beloved grandson, Bhishma was accused by Duryodhana of going soft on him. To prove him wrong, Bhishma made a vow that he’d fight with such ferocity that Krishna would break his own vow and be forced to take weapon against Bhishma to protect His dear friend Arjuna.
Krishna, being well aware of the vow made by Bhishma and now having to choose between keeping His vow or His devotee Bhishma’s vow, chose to break His own to keep the honor of His devotee. Krishna picked a chariot wheel as if to hurl it against Bhishma. Seeing this,Bhishma was moved to tears knowing full well the intent of Krishna of putting the honor of His devotee above Himself. Of course, Krishna was only doing this as a pastime to make the word of Bhishma come true and then dropped the wheel. Eventually the battle continued until Arjuna prevailed over Bhishma.
When Bhishma was defeated, he fell to the ground but he had a boon that he would not die until his time of choosing. And since the auspicious northerly movement of the Sun (uttarayana) was just weeks away, Bhishma decided to wait for the right hour to depart the world. And he had to wait right there in the battlefield as typical of any great warrior, he’d resolved to win or die in the battlefield. So Arjuna, the matchless archer, made a bed of arrows for Bhishma to rest on the battlefield itself.
Finally, the appointed hour came when the northerly movement of the Sun began. By then, the war was over, the Pandavas had won a decisive victory and ascended the throne. They all now came to the battlefield, along with Krishna Himself, to witness the glorious departure of Bhishma.
And at this hour of his death, after answering all the questions of the Pandavas on dharma for all men in general and for the royals in particular, Bhishma finally poured out his heart to Krishna, the Supreme Avatar. This is famously known as Bhishma Stuti, that comes in Srimad Bhagavatam, as one of its great highlights among many moving prayers.
Bhishma, through these prayers, beautifully synthesizes the philosophical wisdom of Oneness with the heartfelt way of unconditional love and devotion. Bhishma first presents the ontological position of Krishna in a concise way. Then, he goes to recount the various pastimes of Krishna including and especially the ones which mysteriously involve the battle Bhishma waged with the Lord on the opposing side.
Bhishma was uniquely fortunate to see the form of Krishna as Parthasarathy (charioteer of Arjuna) by directly facing Him, unlike even Arjuna Himself who was seated behind Krishna in the chariot. So Bhishma moving invokes the various visions he encountered during the war that are imprinted in his heart with love.
Reading these prayers while envisioning the scene of the battlefield and entering the heart of pure devotion of Bhishma can effortlessly awaken love for the Supreme Being and thereby lose the sense of I and mine, which is the only veil that prevents the realization of our true nature as Sat-Chit-Ananda (Eternal, Conscious and Blissful).
Here is a presentation of the entire Bhishma Stuti with a versified translation.
श्रीभीष्म उवाच
इति मतिरुपकल्पिता वितृष्णा भगवति सात्वतपुङ्गवे विभूम्नि ।
स्वसुखमुपगते क्वचिद्विहर्तुं प्रकृतिमुपेयुषि यद्भवप्रवाह: ॥
śrī-bhīṣma uvāca
iti matir upakalpitā vitṛṣṇā bhagavati sātvata-puṅgave vibhūmni
sva-sukham upagate kvacid vihartuṁ prakṛtim upeyuṣi yad-bhava-pravāhaḥ
I offer my mind, freed of all desires, on the eve of my departure
To the Supreme Lord, the Leader of all devotees
Ever blissful in His eternal Self
Who at times descends (as an Avatar) for the transcendental joy of devotees
Into the world of matter (prakrti) that streams forth only from Him
त्रिभुवनकमनं तमालवर्णं रविकरगौरवराम्बरं दधाने ।
वपुरलककुलावृताननाब्जं विजयसखे रतिरस्तु मेऽनवद्या ॥
tri-bhuvana-kamanaṁ tamāla-varṇaṁ ravi-kara-gaura-vara-ambaraṁ dadhāne
vapur alaka-kulāvṛtānanābjaṁ vijaya-sakhe ratir astu me ’navadyā
May I cherish motiveless love for that friend of Vijaya (Arjuna)
The most desirable Being of all the three worlds
Dark blue in complexion like a bayleaf (tamâla) tree
Wearing silk that shines like the golden rays of the sun
His lotus like face with curly locks floating about
युधि तुरगरजोविधूम्रविष्वक्कचलुलितश्रमवार्यलङ्कृतास्ये ।
मम निशितशरैर्विभिद्यमानत्वचि विलसत्कवचेऽस्तु कृष्ण आत्मा ॥
yudhi turaga-rajo-vidhūmra-viṣvak-kaca-lulita-śramavāry-alaṅkṛtāsye
mama niśita-śarair vibhidyamāna-tvaci vilasat-kavace ’stu kṛṣṇa ātmā
May my body, mind and soul rest in Krishna
His Face decorated with beads of sweat in the battlefield
Covered with scattered hair turned ashen with the dust of the horses’ hoofs
Skin, though protected with a shining armor, pierced by my sharp arrows
सपदि सखिवचो निशम्य मध्ये निजपरयोर्बलयो रथं निवेश्य ।
स्थितवति परसैनिकायुरक्ष्णा हृतवति पार्थसखे रतिर्ममास्तु ॥
sapadi sakhi-vaco niśamya madhye nija-parayor balayo rathaṁ niveśya
sthitavati para-sainikāyur akṣṇā hṛtavati pārtha-sakhe ratir mamāstu
May my love be only for that dear friend of Partha (Arjuna)
The Infallible Krishna listening to the words of His dear friend
Entered and established the chariot between the opposing forces
Shortening the life spans of the enemies by simply glancing at them
व्यवहितपृतनामुखं निरीक्ष्य स्वजनवधाद्विमुखस्य दोषबुद्ध्या ।
कुमतिमहरदात्मविद्यया यश्चरणरति: परमस्य तस्य मेऽस्तु ॥
vyavahita-pṛtanā-mukhaṁ nirīkṣya sva-jana-vadhād vimukhasya doṣa-buddhyā
kumatim aharad ātma-vidyayā yaścaraṇa-ratiḥ paramasya tasya me ’stu
May my love be for the feet of the Transcendent Lord
Imparting the timeless teaching of Self knowledge
To remove the ignorance of His friend Arjuna on the battlefield
That arose due to Arjuna’s delusion upon seeing the troops arrayed
Reluctant as he was to slay his kinsmen due to attachment
स्वनिगममपहाय मत्प्रतिज्ञामृतमधिकर्तुमवप्लुतो रथस्थ: ।
धृतरथचरणोऽभ्ययाच्चलद्गुर्हरिरिव हन्तुमिभं गतोत्तरीय: ॥
sva-nigamam apahāya mat-pratijñāmṛtam adhikartum avapluto rathasthaḥ
dhṛta-ratha-caraṇo ’bhyayāc caladgurharir iva hantum ibhaṁ gatottarīyaḥ
Breaking His own vow not to take up arms during the Great War
To fulfill my vow that my fight would force Him to take up a weapon
He jumped down from His chariot
Charging toward me like a lion about to kill an elephant
With earth beneath trembling and His upper garment flying away
शितविशिखहतो विशीर्णदंश: क्षतजपरिप्लुत आततायिनो मे ।
प्रसभमभिससार मद्वधार्थं स भवतु मे भगवान् गतिर्मुकुन्द: ॥
śita-viśikha-hato viśīrṇa-daṁśaḥ kṣataja-paripluta ātatāyino me
prasabham abhisasāra mad-vadhārthaṁ sa bhavatu me bhagavān gatir mukundaḥ
May my destination be Lord Mukunda, the Bestower of liberation
Who charged me, as if angry to kill the aggressor I was
When His shield got broken
His transcendent body seemingly wounded
Blood flowing from the piercing of my sharp arrows
विजयरथकुटुम्ब आत्ततोत्रे धृतहयरश्मिनि तच्छ्रियेक्षणीये ।
भगवति रतिरस्तु मे मुमूर्षोर्यमिह निरीक्ष्य हता गता: स्वरूपम् ॥
vijaya-ratha-kuṭumbha ātta-totre dhṛta-haya-raśmini tac-chriyekṣaṇīye
bhagavati ratir astu me mumūrṣoryam iha nirīkṣya hatā gatāḥ sva-rūpam
May my love be, at this moment of death, in the Supreme Lord
Who took on the role of chariot driver for Vijaya (Arjuna)
With the whip in one hand and the horses’ reins in the other
Upon looking at Him so charming
Those who died in the battlefield attained their eternal nature
ललितगतिविलासवल्गुहासप्रणयनिरीक्षणकल्पितोरुमाना: ।
कृतमनुकृतवत्य उन्मदान्धा: प्रकृतिमगन् किल यस्य गोपवध्व: ॥ ४० ॥
lalita-gati-vilāsa-valguhāsa-praṇaya-nirīkṣaṇa-kalpitorumānāḥ
kṛtam anukṛtavatya unmadāndhāḥ prakṛtim agan kila yasya gopa-vadhvaḥ
Beholding His charming gait and playful actions
His bewitching smile and loving glances
And imitating His movements in mad ecstasy
When He disappeared from their midst
Blessed with perfection were the cowherd damsels
मुनिगणनृपवर्यसङ्कुलेऽन्त:सदसि युधिष्ठिरराजसूय एषाम् ।
अर्हणमुपपेद ईक्षणीयो मम दृशिगोचर एष आविरात्मा ॥
muni-gaṇa-nṛpa-varya-saṅkule ’ntaḥ-sadasi yudhiṣṭhira-rājasūya eṣām
arhaṇam upapeda īkṣaṇīyo mama dṛśi-gocara eṣa āvir ātmā
In the assembly of sages and kings at the royal sacrifice of Yudhishthira
He who attracted everyone’s eyes and was worshiped by all
A sight that I was able to behold with my own eyes
Now has appeared before me at this moment
तमिममहमजं शरीरभाजां हृदि हृदि धिष्ठितमात्मकल्पितानाम् ।
प्रतिदृशमिव नैकधार्कमेकं समधिगतोऽस्मि विधूतभेदमोह: ॥
tam imam aham ajaṁ śarīra-bhājāṁ hṛdi hṛdi dhiṣṭhitam ātma-kalpitānām
pratidṛśam iva naikadhārkam ekaṁ samadhi-gato ’smi vidhūta-bheda-mohaḥ
Having shaken off all delusions of differences
I have realized Him as the One, the Unborn
Who is enthroned in the heart of every conditioned being
Even as the Sun, though one, appears differently to every eye
Here is a soulful musical rendition of this prayer to listen along while reading the lyrics and the translation: