Bhishma prays to Krishna before he departs
“Let me now invest my thinking, feeling and willing, which were so long engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the all powerful Lord Krishna. He is always self-satisfied: but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees he enjoys transcendental pleasure by coming to the material world- although he himself creates the material world. He has appeared on this earth in his transcendental body, which is blue like a tamala tree. That divine body attracts everyone in the three planetary systems. May his lotus face, decorated with sandalwood pulp, be the constant object of my attraction, and may I not desire any material results for my acts.”
Bhishma knew that Krishna’s engagement in the battle was simply an aspect of his transcendental enjoyment. Krishna enjoyed showing his love for Arjuna by assisting him in ways that reciprocated with Arjuna’s desire. He had enjoyed a similar reciprocation with Bhishma, who had relished the sight of Krishna rushing toward him in anger. Remembering that loving exchange, Bhishma recounted the pastime.
“Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing his own promise, he got down from the chariot, took up a wheel, and ran toward me just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. That image is forever fixed in my mind-Krishna’s beautiful blackish face smoldering in anger as he charged toward me with his bright yellow garment falling to the ground. His armour was shattered my my arrows and his body was smeared with the blood of his wounds. May that Lord Krishna, the Supreme Person who awards salvation, be my ultimate destination.”
“I can now meditate with full concentration upon that one Lord, Krishna, visible before me, because I have transcended the misconception of duality. It is this Krishna who is present in everyone’s heart and who is the ultimate destination for all transcendentalists, including those who accept the absolute truth as being simply the Brahman. Even though the sun may be perceived differently by different people in different parts of the world, the sun is one. I therefore surrender myself fully to that all-powerful, omnipresent Krishna. May all be well with the worlds.”
Suddenly Bhishma’s life air shot out from the crown of his head and went into the sky like a blazing comet. The rishis present could see that he had left his body in a brilliant spiritual form and entered into Krishna, thus going to the eternal transcendental atmosphere where Krishna forever displays his loving pastimes. They folded their palms and uttered praises to Krishna, then became silent out of respect for Bhishma. The Pandavas sat silently shedding tears, seeing that their beloved grandfather had departed.
This is such a beautiful and moving part of the Mahabharata. Bhishma was a wonderful example of a devotee in Dasya rasa.
