Puttugam2

Like the birds that become silent upon observing the evening Sunset, all those who were observing Bheeshma Pitamaha merging into the Nirguna Parabrahma (Absolute Lord devoid of traits), remained speechless.

At that time celestials played divine drums. Human beings sounded kettle drums. Gentle-natured and honest kings extolled his greatness. From the sky flowers rained down.

Yudhisthira completed the final rites and other related ceremonies for Bheeshma Pitamaha, who gave up his body after attaining liberation while living (jeevan mukti). He mourned the death of his grandfather.

All the saints present there worshipped Srikrishna with the secretive names and hymns from the Vedas. Fixing their mind totally upon Him, they returned to their respective hermitages. All the saints had observed the faith and devotion that Bheeshma had towards the Supreme Lord. They too now fixed their mind solely upon that Lord.

Yudhisthira together with Srikrishna returned to Hastinapura. He consoled his paternal uncle Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his aunt Gāndhāri. With the blessings of Srikrishna and the permission of his uncle Dhṛtarāṣṭra, He ruled the kingdom, which he had inherited from his ancestors, efficiently and righteously.

With this the 9^th chapter of the first canto comes to an end.

First Canto Tenth Chapter

In this chapter Lord Srikrishna’s return to Dwaraka is covered.

Hearing Maharishi Suta’s narration that Yudhisthira, having been initiated into the rules of righteousness (dharma) by his grandfather Bheeshma ruled wisely and righteously, Maharishi Śounaka enquired in the following way:

“After having killed the evil Duryodhana and others who had wrongfully usurped their kingdom, how did the supremely righteous Yudhisthira, who had grieved the killing of his kith and kin, rule the kingdom together with his brothers?”

Maharishi Suta replied, “The fire called ‘hatred’ (dwesha) that was born in this Kuru dynasty, engulfed almost everything. Almost the entire lineage was reduced to ashes. Srikrishna, the creator and ruler of the universe, ensured that a new tender sprout called Parikshit emerged in that Kuru lineage.

He enthroned Yudhisthira as the king and rejoiced greatly. Due to initiation from Srikrishna and Bheeshma, Yudhisthira attained enlightenment and with this, his infatuations (moha) were washed away. He sought refuge in Srikrishna.

With the help from his younger brothers, Yudhisthira ruled the kingdom that stretched up to the ocean, perfectly, like Lord Indra. During his rule, the clouds showered rain in plenty. Mother Earth produced things in great abundance. Cows gave plentiful milk. Rivers, oceans, trees, mountains, and crops of every type, gave plentiful fruits in every season to the king. During the rule of Yudhisthira, who had no enemy, citizens did not have to fear physical diseases or mental ailments at any point of time. This is a noteworthy point. Such was his rule! Free from all forms of troubles and sorrows, people lived happily.

In order to dispel the grief of the Pandavas and in order to bring joy to Subhadra (his sister), Krishna camped at Hastinapura for a long time. It can be said that He stayed there for many months. He was there with them till they overcame that grief. He was there with them until they were totally satisfied and happy.

Thereafter he sought permission from Yudhisthira to return to his city Dwaraka. He embraced Yudhisthira and bowed to him. He mounted the chariot. At that time those who were dear to him, embraced him and also bowed to Him.

Unable to bear the separation from the Lord Subhadra, Draupadi, Kunti, Uttara, Gāndhāri, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Yuyutsu, Kripacharya, Dhoumya, Nakula, Sahadeva, Bhima, Satyavati and many others fell unconscious.

Sat-saṇgān mukta-duḥsaṇgo hātuṃ notsahate budhaḥ

Kīrtyamānaṃ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam

By associating with Mahatmas through satsang, the wise give up their bad associations (dus-sanga). Such wise persons, who have tasted the joy in glorifying the Lord, will never seek to stay away from it.

Pandavas are those who spent their time seeing only Him, talking to Him, eating along with Him and living with His vicinity. Of what use is that limitless wealth? Of what use is the name and fame? Of what use is supreme prosperity? The pain of separation from the Lord is always severe. To stay away from Him is always sorrowful. When the most important object is distanced from us, all these materialistic wealth and comforts cease to be visible to the eyes. Only darkness seems to remain.

How could Pandavas, who had spent time only for Him, now withstand this separation from Him? These were the people who had dined with Him, chatted with Him, touched Him, slept near Him and lived along with Him. In varied ways, these people had all loved Him and had become extremely dear to Him.

Now when He announced His departure to Dwaraka, how were they to withstand this separation? Their hearts were completely under the sway of His divine love! Such was His love! It was supreme love that knew no bounds! It was priceless love beyond any form of measure!

Without even blinking an eyelid they kept gazing at the path He was taking. They moved about like statues. The ladies, who loved Him dearly, were unable to control the flood of tears when Krishna, son of Devaki, stepped out of the house to mount the chariot. Yet, with great difficultly they controlled themselves, as they felt it to be inauspicious to shed tears at time of departure.

When Swami is leaving or when a person is leaving for a good auspicious task it is wrong to cry, isn’t it? So with great difficulty they stopped their tears.

When Srikrishna was leaving for Dwaraka, various auspicious instruments such as drums, mridamgam, large drums, conch, kettle drums, veena, band, flutes and bells were played.

Hare Sri Krishna

Bheeshma’s hymn on Srikrishna:

“The Supreme Lord is inherently blissful. Even then at times playfully using His power of illusion (maya shakti) as a tool He descends to the material world by taking on a gross body. It is due to this power of illusion that this material universe is created.

Such a Supreme Lord, the crown jewel of the Yadu lineage, sits right now in front of my eyes! I am placing at the feet of this Lord, my mind, which through strict adherence to righteousness (dharma), has been rendered free from any form of desires.” -said Bheeshma Pitamaha while steadily gazing at Srikrishna who was sitting in front of him.

Tri-bhuvana-kamanaṃ tamāla-varṇaṃ ravi-kara-gaura-varāmbaraṃ dadhāne

Vapur alaka-kulāvṛtānanābjaṃ vijaya-sakhe ratir astu me ‘navadyā

I pray that I should develop selfless love, which is devoid of any form of desires, towards that Supreme Lord Srikrishna, the friend of Arjuna, who is of bluish-green complexion, who wears golden yellow clothing that glitters like the rising Sun, whose lotus-like face appears covered with sandal paste and whose form/ appearance is the most magnificent in all the three planes of existence (tribhuvana)!

During the war, due to the dust raised by the horse hoofs, His hair turned ashen (smoke grey colour). At that time His face, which was drenched in sweat, was shining radiantly. My sharp arrows tore through his armour and pierced His skin. May my mind remain totally focused upon such Lord Srikrishna!

Immediately upon hearing the words of his friend Arjuna, Krishna drove the chariot and stationed it in the centre of the battlefield, between the two armies. Merely with His gaze He shortened the lifespan of all opponents who had assembled there. May I develop firm devotion towards Srikrishna, the charioteer of Arjuna!

Upon entering the battlefield, Arjuna immediately saw the Kaurava soldiers and warriors stationed for war. His gaze fell upon me, who was standing right in front, leading this enemy army. He instantly felt that it was unrighteous to wage a war wherein he would kill his own kith and kin and hence was disinclined to fight. At such a crucial time, Srikrishna preached to him the knowledge of the Self (atma vidya) and dispelled his spiritual ignorance (ajnana). He ensured that Arjuna walks on the path of righteousness (dharma). I pray that I should develop love towards the lotus feet of such Lord Srikrishna!

Srikrishna, who had assumed the role of a charioteer and who had taken a pledge not to take up any weapon during the war, broke His pledge only for my sake. This is purely because I had pledged that I would make Him hold a weapon. With the intention of fulfilling my desire and through this ensuring that I become great, the Lord broke His promise.  Just as a lion rushes in great fury to kill the elephant, this Lord got down from the chariot, took a wheel and rushed towards me in such mad fury that the earth shook. While he was thus rushing, His upper garment slipped and fell.

Due to the impact of the arrows released by me during the war, His protective shield was completely shattered. The powerful sharp arrows pierced his body and blood was flowing profusely. Arjuna, in various ways, tried to stop this Lord who was rushing in uncontrollable fury to kill me. Unmindful of all this Lord Srikrishna rushed forward to attack me. He is my sole refuge.

Now when I am about to give up my life, let me develop absolute love towards Lord Srikrishna, who is extremely handsome in appearance and who holding the goad in one hand and the bridle rope in another, zealously protected the chariot of Arjuna! This is because those who lost their life in the war, while seeing this form of His, attained oneness of form with Him (sārupya moksha)!

With His enchanting gait, fascinating deeds, charming appearance, pleasant smile and gaze that is filled totally with love, Krishna attracted the Gopikas who worshipped Him. Suddenly, in between (this worship) He disappeared from the scene. With this the love of the Gopikas towards Him surged even more. Forgetting everything else, these Gopikas, in absolute mad love towards Him, began to imitate His deeds and His other favorite pastimes. Thus these Gopikas merged into Him. Likewise even I should merge into that Lord”.

Bheeshma began recollecting all the pastimes of Krishna. In this short speech he explained the entire history of Krishna.

“Yudhisthira performed the Rājasuya Yagna. In that great assembly, this Lord Srikrishna, in the presence of all eminent saints, scholars and kings, accepted worship in my presence. That Supreme Lord has now emerged as the form of my Self (atma swaroopa)!

That Lord who is inherently devoid of birth, remains within all living beings created by Him, in the form of their Self.  There is only one Sun. Nevertheless, each eye that sees it perceives it in a different way. In a similar manner, this Lord illumines differently in various different forms.

How many people observe the Sun! Countless beings observe it including insects and worms. But to each it appears differently.

I, who have transcended differentiation and illusion (bheda-moha), have realized that Krishna, who is the personification of the non-dual (adviteeya) Parabrahma, is nothing but the form of my Self (atma swaroopa)!

In this way, Bheeshma, using the 3 actions called mind, speech, vision (manas, vak, drsti), fixed his intellect (buddhi) perfectly upon Lord Srikrishna, who was the form of his Self (atma) and withdrawing his breath into himself, left his body.

Jai Sriman Nārāyaṇa.

Bheeshma continues, “Just as I am about to give up this body, Lord Krishna has come to bless me with His darshan! How fortunate am I! He has come walking to my place to bless me. I am seeing the Supreme Lord Krishna himself! What more can be said about His limitless compassion! That Lord, whose darshan is so very rare, has now walked down to the place where I am lying and is blessing me.

Bhaktyāveśya mano yasmin vācā yan-nāma kīrtayan

Tyajan kalevaraṁ yogī mucyate kāma-karmabhiḥ

The Yogi, who at the time of leaving his body, fixes his mind totally upon Lord Srikrishna and sings His names with devotion, is freed from bondages of frutitive actions (actions done with expectation of some result)! With the darshan of the Supreme Lord, all infatuations disappear.

At the time when Sriman Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of all Lords, is standing in front of me in His form as Srikrishna, at the time when He watches over me pleasantly with His beautifully glowing lotus face and with His red eyes, I am going to give up this body of mine” said Bheeshma.

What a fortunate being Bheeshma was!

Hearing this, Yudhisthira, in the presence of thousands of saints who had assembled there, asked Bheeshma, who was lying on the bed of arrows, to preach him about the different rules of righteousness (dharmas).  “Please initiate me into the dharma shookshmas, Swami”, he prayed.

Bheeshma, who was an exponent in this knowledge, taught Yudhisthira, in minute detail, the rules that had been dictated, based on the individual’s nature and also based on the requirements as per the caste (varna) and stage of life (ashrama). He thus taught him dharmas based on both the paths: Pravritti (path of materialistic expansion) and Nivritti (path of return, renunciation) which suit the mental stages called attachment (bondages) and detachment (vairagya) respectively.

He taught him the knowledge behind getting entangled in action, giving up action and instigating action. In addition, he taught him extensively about the dharmic rules and duties as applicable to Kings. He spoke about generosity and deeds of charity. He explained in great detail about śama-dama dharmas which pave the way to liberation. He spoke about the duties of women and about rules pertaining to rituals (vrata dharmas) such as Ekadaśi vrata, which are very dear to the Supreme Lord. In addition, through the medium of many stories and by drawing from history he explained the various ways to attain the Puruśārthas (four goals of life viz., dharma, artha, kama and moksha).

In this way grandfather Bheeshma, while lying on the bed of arrows, taught Emperor Yudhisthira in minute detail all that he knew. He also taught him the various methods through which these principles of righteousness could be easily adhered.

Bheeshma, the wise being, had the boon that he could choose the time of his death. While Bheeshma was initiating Yudhisthira into this knowledge, the auspicious time of Uttarāyaṇa arrived. This was the time which Bheeshma had been eagerly awaiting.

At soon as this auspicious time arrived, Bheeshma, the expert warrior who used to  handle thousands of charioteers at one go during wars, suddenly stopped speaking and without even closing his eyelids, focused his mind wholly and solely upon Lord Srikrishna. He did not even wait to close his eyelids as he did not want to waste even that much time! This is a proof that irrespective of the time and irrespective of the situation, the divine names of the Lord can be chanted.

Lord Srikrishna, at that time, appeared before him as Adi Nārāyaṇa, the Original God! The Lord shone with His four arms and with yellow Pitambara clothing which glittered brightly! Bheeshma saw the wonderous divine form of the Lord which was as radiant as His Universal form! He saw the complete form of that Lord and not His fractional form as a human being. Bheeshma, who had absolutely no inclination towards these worldly bondages, merged his mind wholly into that Lord.

To be frank, Bheeshma had never been inclined towards these worldly bondages. Now, when the auspicious time had arrived and when the Lord was directly standing in front of him, why would he waste this golden opportunity? After all he was a very intelligent and wise being.

As a result of this divine contemplation upon the Supreme Lord, all remaining blemishes and defects in Bheeshma were totally washed away. Some trivial defects, if any, that existed within him, were now destroyed. ‘This is my duty, this is my dharma, these are my obligations’- even if such ignorance (moha) that emerged out of stubbornness was existing in him, even they got destroyed.

‘If I do not adhere to this dharma, then I am at fault’; ‘Oh, this dharma is very dear to Krishna, how can I stay away from it? Only if I abide by it He will be happy’ – even such ideas were routed out completely. Nothing more was left! Absolutely nothing! Now no more dharma was left. He had imparted the knowledge in entirety. There was nothing left to be taught also.

It is but natural that every individual will have some defects. It is said that these defects did not even spare Krishna and Rama, when they stepped into this world which is full of defects.

Bheeshma is the one and only proof of how the Supreme Lord relieves a person, who is fully immersed in the kingdom of bhakti which is over and above action, even if defects which emerge from action (karma dosha) and which can be eliminated only through action exist within him.

Not only were the defects in Bheeshma entirely washed away, but in addition the bodily pains due to the war injuries, also disappeared completely! The body became cool as if sandal paste was applied on it. All this was the outcome of the divine darshan of the Supreme Lord!

Lakhs of arrows had pierced Bheeshma’s body. Can you imagine how he would have suffered due to that pain? The Lord was removing Bheeshma’s bondage with this body, wasn’t He? Perhaps if Bheeshma were to leave that body while undergoing the pain associated with it, he would have to take another body to mitigate that bodily suffering, who knows? But now Srikrishna had totally wiped away the bodily pains.

Being relieved of all afflictions Bheeshma was in total bliss. Withdrawing into himself all the senses, that tend to run in all directions, he now sang the hymn praising the Supreme Lord Sriman Nārāyaṇa!

Sriman Nārāyaṇa!

With sweet words Bheeshma who was the best amongst the Vasus and who was extremely well-versed with the rules of righteousness (dharma) based on divisions of time and place, welcomed them all.  As he was lying on the bed of arrows he could not stand and welcome them. Hence through his eyes and words he reverentially welcomed them all!

Srikrishna, the Lord of the universe, who had taken on a human body using His transcendental powers, was seated towards a side. Bheeshma, who was very well aware of His greatness, contemplated and mentally worshipped the Lord who was in his heart. Could it be possible for Bheeshma to be unaware of the Lord’s capacities? How could he not know of the Lord’s glories? Mentally he was contemplating and worshipping the Lord.

With overflowing love and modesty, his grandsons, the Pandavas, sat right beside him. Merely by seeing them, his heart was filled with tears of affection. His vision was blurred due to the tears of joy and he could not see them properly.

Seeing the Pandavas, Bheeshma said, “Oho, what calamity has befallen you! What injustice! O Pandavas, having sought refuge under Srikrishna, you have been leading a life that is full of righteousness. That, even such righteous persons like you should undergo so many troubles and limitless suffering is not right, isn’t it?

At the time when your father King Pandu died, my daughter-in-law Kunti was left with very small children. Together with her children Kunti has also undergone enormous hardships and has suffered a great deal. All of you also have seen many difficulties in life.

How much of suffering you have had to undergo! Undoubtedly both you and Kauravas were equal in my eyes. But, you were the ones who have always abided by righteousness. You have always sought shelter in Lord Krishna. It pains me that you had to suffer despite all this.

I believe that this is nothing but the influence (effect) of time! Everyone who is controlled by time should abide by its dictates. Just as clouds are under the control of Lord Vayu (God of wind), this entire world, including its rulers, are under the control of time.

If not, how is it possible for calamities to befall King Yudhisthira who is the personification of dharma, when mighty warrior Bhima holding the club and  greatest archer Arjuna wielding his bow Gandiva, ensure protection to him at all times and when Srikrishna always remains by his side as his friend and protector? This is nothing but the influence of time!”

Swamiji explains: Mighty warriors Bheema and Arjuna were always beside Yudhisthira in order to protect him. Krishna, the Supreme Lord was his friend and protector. Even then, Yudhisthira, who was the personification of righteousness, had to face innumerable difficulties in life.  This was because of the influence (effect) of time (Kāla).

“O Yudhisthira! No one can understand the intentions and plans of this Lord Srikrishna. Although He is always by your side, it is as if at times He is beside you and yet He is not beside you. It is like getting the work done through you and then saying that He had no role in it. Or, it is like Him taking credit for work done by you. All His plays are beyond our understanding!”

Swamiji explains: He got the tasks executed through Arjuna and then claimed that He had no role in it. He caused feelings of detachment in Arjuna and then claimed that He had no role in it. He thus forced Arjuna to take up arms and fight. He said, ‘I am the one who has set it free; I am the one who has bound it; I am the one who asked you to kill him; I am the one who questioned your action of killing him’. Oh My God! None of His actions come within our scope of understanding! His wonderous intentions are unimaginable!

“Even those eminent scholars who attempted to understand His wonderous intentions, themselves fell into illusion!

Even when He is visible directly in front of our eyes, we are unable to understand Him! Now if He was not visible, then, entangled in our karmas, how much more we would have to suffer! Being by our side He sometimes says ‘I did this’. Other times He says ‘I did not do this’. At times He says, ‘I already told you’; other times He says, ‘I did not speak in this manner’; ‘I did exactly as you said’ He says. At times He says, ‘everything belongs to me’; another time He will say, ‘I have no role in this. All this is your karma’. If this is the state when He is physically present, then what will happen when He becomes invisible?

Therefore, accepting all this as God’s will, surrender to Him. Rule righteously and protect the citizens. Stop lamenting. I know that grief that has brought you here to me. What is the use of crying now? Lamenting before the war also would have served no purpose. At that time itself you were aware that you would be left grieving at the end of the war.

You have the satisfaction that you are ruling righteously. You also have the satisfaction that you have eliminated cruel and sinful persons. Most of these corrupt sinful persons happened to be your relatives so you are grieving. Why do you now regret your actions? Why do you blame yourself for killing or punishing them? All this is absolutely unnecessary.

Do you realize that this Srikrishna is the Supreme Lord of the universe? He is the original God, the ādi Puruśa Sriman Narayana! Secretively living among the members of Yadu lineage, He, with his self created energy (power of illusion), is putting the entire earth under illusion! Using his power of illusion, He has enveloped every being! This, He does, while moving amongst us and being one with us!

Lord Shiva, Maharishis Narada and Kapila are very well aware of the capacities of this Supreme Lord! They have understood in depth! But they too roam about as if they are ignorant about it.

You have considered this Supreme Lord as your maternal cousin, as a benefactor, a well-wisher, a dear friend and a very good advisor. Thus you have used Him as your messenger, your minister and as a charioteer for your brother. Aha! Is this how you treat the Lord? You allowed the Supreme Lord to be a charioteer for your brother’s vehicle. You considered Him to be a minister you gave you valuable advice. You sent Him as an ambassador before the war to the enemy camp. There He bore the insults heaped upon by the Kauravas and allowed himself to be bound.

Even though he was by your side the Supreme Lord who dispels illusion has put you under illusion as you were not vigilant. Do you have any idea who He is? He is the form of the Self that exists within all! In His eyes everyone is equal! He is free from the ‘false ego identification’. He is beyond likes and dislikes. He is free from any form of differentiation. He remains an eternal witness. He illumines everything and also observes everything. He puts everyone under His illusion. He is the master of all tasks but yet He appears as if He doesn’t do anything.

Even though He treats everyone equally, He has limitless compassion towards those who are totally devoted towards Him. This is the speciality. Even though He is the illumination that exists within everyone and He treats everyone equally, He has a special corner for the ardent devotees of His. If you were to ask me, whom He loves the most, I would say that it is the devotees who with total devotion have totally surrendered everything to Him.

I am now about to give up my life. At such a time the Supreme Lord Srikrishna himself has come to bless me with his darshan. This shows his limitless compassion”.

Sriman Narayana!

As his mind was filled with indiscrimination, Yudhisthira had succumbed to infatuation and attachments and while bemoaning the death of all his kith and kin, said, “Oho, look at me! What a wretched being I am! My heart is totally filled with ignorance (ajnana). O Lord, in order to protect this physical body of mine, which is nothing but food for dogs and jackals, I have destroyed limitless akshohini armies (akshohini is a military army consisting of many 21870 elephants, 21870 chariots, 65610 horses and 109350 foot soldiers).

I, who have cheated children, Brahmins, relatives, friends, fathers, brothers and Gurus, will not obtain relief from hell even after suffering there for 10 crore years! Even after exhausting limitless births, my sins will not melt. I will be endlessly grieving. I have got stuck in the mire called sins. How many innocent persons I have killed! How many children grieve today because they have been deprived of fathers!  I have cheated them all. I have killed many persons who were steadily walking on the path of Brahma. I have killed my Gurus. I have sinned against my Guru. I have sinned against many mothers.

After all, this body made of flesh and bones will be destroyed one day or the other. Thereafter it is nothing but food for crows and dogs. Even if it is burnt, its bones can still be consumed by them. For the sake of this filthy terrible body, for the sake of the comforts it seeks, for the sake of these palatial kingly luxuries, in order to obtain others’ praise, to call myself an exalted emperor, I have committed heinous sins. Oh, what have I done!

A king does not incur any sin even if he kills the enemy in a righteous war that has been undertaken to protect his citizens, say our Shastras. O Lord, I fail to understand why these Scriptures preach in this manner? These scriptures state that we are exempt from the sufferings of hell even after killing enemies in righteous war. How is this possible? How can this war be titled righteous, O Lord? I am unable to understand anything.

By killing many of my relatives, I have offended many women. Such a grave sin cannot be atoned with the sacrificial rituals (yagna, yaaga) performed by house-holders. But O Lord, perhaps by performing these yagnas, I could earn some merit. That is possible, but in no way can I escape this bad karma that I have acquired.

I am ready the pay for all my sins, O Lord. I admit I am a sinner. But to pay for these sins of mine, I do not know how many crores and crores and crores of births I will have to take. This fact torments me a lot. I am not sure if those many births would even suffice to pay these sins. Such is my fate now. I will have to take endless re-births and suffer its consequences. Do I not have any chance for liberation, O Lord?

When this is my case, why do these Scriptures state that I am sinless? Why did they instigate me in this manner? Why did they respectfully encourage me to kill limitless number of people? Whom should I ask O Lord? Can I blame the scriptures? Can I blame You? I take the blame totally upon myself, O Lord. I have sinned terribly.

Within me, there is this feeling of ‘I’. That has still not gone away. Since this feeling of ‘I-ness’ (egoism) exists within me and since I have merged with the senses, I will have to suffer along with them too.

Muddy water cannot be purified using mud as a medium. Performing meritorious actions tainted with desires which are like mud, cannot purify sins. How can I ever get purified by performing such actions? O Lord, please tell. Just because clean water is unavailable, can the dirty vessels be cleaned using muddy water? Won’t the mud stick to these washed vessels? My condition is similar to that. If an action has emerged from a mistake, the same mistake cannot be used to rectify that action, isn’t it? Similarly, the sin of killing humans cannot be set off by performing yagnas (sacrifices), isn’t it, O Lord?” in this way Yudhisthira grieved profusely.

With this the 8^th chapter of the first canto comes to an end.

First Canto Ninth Chapter

In this ninth chapter, Yudhisthira and others approaching Bheeshma, initiation into the various dharmas (rules of righteousness) by Bheeshma, hymn on Srikrishna (stotram) and Bheeshma’s final departure are all covered.

Maharishi Suta continued, “With the intention of understanding the rules of righteousness (dharma), Yudhisthira, who was lamenting, went to the Kurukshetra battlefield, where Bheeshma was lying on the bed of arrows. After all Bheeshma was his grandfather (pitamaha)! He was equal to a Guru! He was equal to a father! He was equal to God!

Along with Yudhisthira, his four brothers also went to meet Bheeshma Pitamaha. Maharishis Vyasa, Dhoumya and others, mounted finest horse chariots and followed Yudhisthira. Krishna mounted Arjuna’s chariot and rode along with him. Yudhisthira, accompanied by all of them shone like Lord Kubera who was surrounded by all the Yakshas.

They neared the place where Bheeshma was resting. Their aristocratic appearance and their dignified conduct were amazing! The radiant Bheeshma Pitamaha who was resting there, appeared like a celestial fallen from sky! The Pandavas felt that a Devata who was flying in the sky had fallen down to earth and was lying there.

The Pandavas, along with Srikrishna, bowed down before him in reverence. They circumambulated and offered obeisance to him. He was after all an elderly person. Exactly at that moment, many eminent saints of different cadres such as, Brahma-rishis, Deva-rishis and Raja-rishis, arrived there to have the darshan of Bheeshma, the chief of the Bharata dynasty. At the time when Pandavas arrived, those saints too arrived.

Maharishis Parvata, Narada, Dhoumya, revered Vyasa, Bṛhadaśva, Bharadwaja, Paraśurama together with his disciples, Vashishta, Indrapramada, Trita, Gṛtsamada, Asita, Kakṣivānta, Goutama, Atri, Kouśika, Vishwamitra, Sudarshana, Śuka, Kasyapa, Angirasa and many other eminent saints arrived there together with all their disciples. In all, thousands of saints had assembled there!

Sriman Narayana.