Srimad Bhagavatam Skanda 1 - Bheeshma Stuti, The Forepart

Srimad Bhagavatam cleanses kalimala or the pollutant of Kali, destroys sins, shows the indweller, the Lord, in oneself by bringing Vairagya towards the materialistic world, and gives pure devotion, crystal clear, and clean knowledge. 

|| Hari Om ||

Om Krishnaya Namah

कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय देवकीनन्दनाय च ।

नन्दगोपकुमाराय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥

Sri Krishna! Being a hope to the imprisoned Devaki & Vasudeva caused happiness by mesmerizing Nandagopa, Gopikas and even the Goddess of abundant beauty. Vasudeva! creation, sustenance, destruction and so on is a sports charm of you. Govinda! you are the cause & protector of Vedas.

Krishna, Vasudeva, Devaki Nandana, Nanda Gopa Kumara, Govinda, 
My repeated salutations to you.

नमः पङ्कजनाभाय नमः पङ्कजमालिने ।

नमः पङ्कजनेत्राय नमस्ते पङ्कजाङ्घ्रये ॥

My salutations to the Lotus of the navel. My salutations to the Lotus garlanded.

My salutations to Lotus petal eye. My salutations to the Lotus feet.

व्यासाय भव नाशाय श्रीशाय गुण राशऐ ।

हृद्याय शुद्ध विद्याय मध्वायछ नमो नमः ॥

Charming & the beloved Vyasa, the destroyer of emotional & behavioral disorders, the Lord of Goddess of abundance having heaps of attributes, bestower of clean knowledge, my repeated salutations to you and Acharya Madhwa.

यः स्वानुभावमखिलश्रुतिसारमेकमध्यात्मदीपमतितितीर्षतां तमोऽन्धम् ।

संसारिणां करुणयाह पुराणगुह्यं तं व्याससूनुमुपयामि गुरुं मुनीनाम् ॥

This Srimad Bhagavatam gives the experience of the Lord and has the essence of all Vedas and Vedanta. It sheds spiritual light on the transcendental philosophy required to surpass the intense cycle of death and birth which is wrapped in ignorance. However, it is very secretive in nature. Hence, I pray to you Sri Shukacharya for your continued blessings.

यद्भनौ यत्क्र्शानौ यदमृतकिरणे यद् ग्रहेषू दितेषु

ज्योतिर्यत्तारकासु प्रथितमणिषु यद्यच्च सौदामिनिषु ।

सम्भूयौतत् समस्तं त्वदमितह्रदयाकाशनिर्यत्प्रकाशे

धीर श्रीराघवेन्द्रव्रतिवरभजते हन्त खद्योतरीतिम् ॥

The brightness of the Sun, Fire, Moon, Planets, Stars, Gems, Precious stones and Lightening put together is just like a firefly near the astonishing brilliance emanating from your lotus of Heart wherein the five forms of Lord Sri Rama, Sri Narasimha, Sri Veda Vyasa, Sri Krishna and Sriman Narayana are present in a significant way bestowing you the Brahmavarchas or the Sacred Knowledge.

Gentle & Holy Sage, Sri Raghvendra, भजते, I worship you by surrendering myself.

In the great war of Kurukshetra, Sri Bheeshmacharya had taken several arrows. These arrows had pierced through him forming a bed on which he laid waiting to accept death and relinquish his body. Sri Bheeshmacharya had accomplished the siddhi of Iccha Marana or perfection to have death at his time of choosing. Hence, he waited for the winter solstice, when the doors of Heaven would be opened. That is the first day of Uttarayana. During his wait, Sri Bheeshmacharya experienced the pain of eight garbhavasa i.e. the pain during the stay in the mother’s womb.

Sri Bheeshmacharya

During death, when jiva departs the mortal body, it experiences enormous pain while being in the cycle of death and birth, so too during birth. To God Garuda’s question in Garuda Purana, Lord Keshava who is always being worshipped by God Brahma & God Shiva says that the jiva experiences enormous pain & misery in the womb. It would be awash by feces and urine having a bad smell. The bitter, hot, salty and acidic taste. As the body develops, it experiences pain in all directions due to the heat of the digestive system of the mother and due to the narrow space of confinement for a very long period of time. Sri Bheeshmacharya experiences the pain of eight Garbavasas or equivalent to the pain in each of the eight deaths and births.

All the Rishis including Brahma Rishis, Deva Rishis, Raja Rishis heard the news of Sri Bheeshmacharya. They visited him while he awaited death. Dharmaraja at the directions of Lord Sri Krishna and Lord Veda Vyasa having a dilemma on dharma visited along with his brothers, family Priests and the support brahmins. The Lord Bhaktvatsala for whom devotees are most dear was present in the form of Parashurama, Veda Vyasa, and Sri Krishna to bless Sri Bheeshmacharya. Seeing them, Sri Bheeshmacharya sings the Glory of the Lord who is full of mercy and compassion.

This song on Glory of Lord  sung by Sri Bheeshmacharya is the most powerful versus having the ability to bestow the remembrance and thoughts of Lord at the last moments of one’s life when practiced daily by repeated chanting with a conscious mind, heart filled with Bhakti and doing anusandhana. Anusandhana is understanding the principles of philosophy in each verse, draw essence and implement it by practicing in all our day to day activities of life.

Sri Bheeshmacharya says,

एष वै भगवान् साक्षादाद्यो नारायणः पुमान् ।

मोहयन् मायया लोकं गूढश्चरति वृष्णिषु ॥ १८॥

Evidently, this Sri Krishna is the Lord of everything. He has created the Universe including his forms, all living beings and non-living things. He is the sustainer, destroyer, controller, bestowing ignorance and knowledge to confine all living beings to death-birth and liberates them with moksha. He is the cause of this existence. Even before this creation, when nothing was there, He was there. Hence, he is popular as अद्य or the first supreme Lord, Sriman Narayana. The same Sriman Narayana is appearing in the form of Sri Krishna here. Though he mesmerizes everyone with his charm, He is appearing as if another person has taken birth in the Vrishni clan. This way he is unfolding his sports charm.

 अस्यानुभावं भगवान् वेद गुह्यतमं शिवः ।

देवर्षिर्नारदः साक्षाद्भगवान् कपिलो नृप ॥ १९॥

His glory, His acts, and the way He influences are extremely secretive. And impenetrable. Yudhishthira! Only His form of Kapila, God Shiva and Deva Rishi, Narada is aware. Hence, they could predict the exact future without being deluded.

यं मन्यसे मातुलेयं प्रियं मित्रं सुहृत्तमम् ।

अकरोः सचिवं दूतं सौहृदादथ सारथिम् ॥ २०॥

The one whom you think is your maternal uncle Vasudeva’s son, the dear friend, most trusted & special. And to whom with great love, you ask him to be your minister, messenger and even charioteer without any hesitation,  that very compassionate Sri Krishna is the very complete Brahman. He is the Almighty, Supreme Lord.   

सर्वात्मनः समदृशो ह्यद्वयस्यानहङ्कृतेः ।

तत्कृतं मतिवैषम्यं निरवद्यस्य न क्वचित् ॥ २१॥

He is सर्वात्मनः, the Indweller of all living beings without an iota of वैषम्य or discrimination including in their मति, intellect. He is समदृश, fair and impartial. He is Supreme as he is अद्वय or second to none.

तथाप्येकान्तभक्तेषु पश्य भूपानुकम्पितम् ।

यन्मेऽसूंस्त्यजतः साक्षात्कृष्णो दर्शनमागतः ॥ २२॥

Yudhishthira! The balanced Lord is impartial and has no prejudice, whatsoever. With his immeasurable love towards his vast devotees, you are seeing how the compassionate Lord is favoring all with divine grace! As I have taken-up death to forego this body, Lord Sri Krishna has come himself with his presence for my दर्शन or view.

भक्त्यावेश्य मनो यस्मिन् वाचा यन्नाम कीर्तयन् ।

त्यजन् कलेवरं योगी मुच्यते कामकर्मभिः ॥ २३॥

To those great yogis who have filled their hearts with Bhakti in Lord, sing his namasankeertana with a mind focused towards him while foregoing the body to accept death, the most compassionate Lord will shear the bind of desire and actions breaking the cycle of death and birth. 

स देवदेवो भगवान् प्रतीक्षतां कलेवरं यावदिदं हिनोम्यहम् ।

प्रसन्नहासारुणलोचनोल्लसन्मुखाम्बुजोध्यानपथश्चतुर्भुजः॥ २४॥

Such God of Gods has a bright lotus-like face, wearing charming smile with the lotus petal-shaped eye, the white of his eye appearing lotus pink and having four arms, Bhagavan blessing with his view only to great Yogis in their meditation, Lord Sri Krishna be present right in front of me, seeing me till I forego my body, says Sri Bheeshmacharya.     

सूत उवाच, Sri Sutacharya says,

युधिष्ठिरस्तदाकर्ण्य शयानं शरपञ्जरे ।

अपृच्छद्विविधान् धर्मान् ऋषीणां चानुशृण्वताम् ॥ २५॥

Sri Shaunaka! Hearing the words from Grandfather Bheeshma who was sleeping on the bed of arrows, Yudhishthira asked several clarifications on various subjects of statecraft in the presence of great Rishis & Munis.

पुरुषस्वभावविहितान् यथावर्णं यथाश्रमम् ।

वैराग्यरागोपाधिभ्यामाम्नातोभयलक्षणान् ॥ २६॥

दानधर्मान् राजधर्मान् मोक्षधर्मान् विभागशः ।

स्त्रीधर्मान् भगवद्धर्मान् समासव्यासयोगतः ॥ २७॥

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षांश्च सहोपायान् यथा मुने ।

नानाख्यानेतिहासेषु वर्णयामास तत्त्ववित् ॥ २८॥

Then the Tattva Jnani, Sri Bheeshmacharya having the divine knowledge consistent with Varna or Profession and Ashrama or the Stage of life, explained natural behavior or dharma to be followed by human beings. Vairagya or dispassion towards materialistic life that needs to be developed. Also, due to the instinct of desire and greed, Grandfather Sri Bheeshmacharya explained the way प्रवृत्ति or Pravruti dharma or worldly activities and निवृत्ति or Nivruti dharma or abstaining from sensual pleasures have been set forth in various ways.  Those with Vairagya would follow Nivruti or Nishkama dharma and those with desire & anger would follow Pravruti dharma. 

Further, Sri Bheeshmacharya explained the दानधर्मा or quality of benevolence one needs to develop through donations; राजधर्मा or the righteous way of administration; स्त्रीधर्मा or the duty for females including women & children; भगवद्धर्मा or the behaviour of Gods when they appear on earth, the divine order he has set-up to follow and the way for Jivas to please the Lord; मोक्षधर्मा or The way one should propitiate Lord doing spiritual practice by submitting to him. Also, the benefits or the way the accomplished beings live after moksha. All these he explained in a detailed and elaborate way. Also, he summarised the same in brief for a quick memory.

Along with these, he explained Dharma, Kama, Artha and Moksha, the four Purusharthas or the objectives of life, the way to accomplish perfection in this. He illustrated this through short stories and reference to history.  

The whole of Shanti Parva and the Anushasana Parva that has been detailed in Mahabarata has been briefly touched upon herein Srimad Bhagavatam by Lord Veda Vyasa.

र्मं प्रवदतस्तस्य स कालः प्रत्युपस्थितः ।

यो योगिनश्छन्दमृत्योर्वाञ्छितस्तूत्तरायणः ॥ २९॥

Sri Bheeshmacharya who had Iccha Marana or death at his time of choosing was expounding the axiom of dharma. While he was doing so, the auspicious time for such highly accomplished yogis to leave the body had come. The Uttarayana had set in for the doors of heaven to be opened.     

तदोपसंहृत्य गिरः सहस्रणी र्विमुक्तसङ्गं मन आदिपूरुषे ।

कृष्णे लसत्पीतपटे चतुर्भुजे पुरः स्थितेऽमीलितदृग्व्यधारयत् ॥ ३०॥

The protagonist of the thousands assembled there became silent. The assembled there were filled with joy to hear more, though. Sri Bheeshmacharya was sucked into meditation with open eyes. His attention moved towards the Adipurusha, the four-armed Lord wearing the yellow robes, Bhagavan Sri Krishna. He brought his mind towards Lord Krishna, fixed it there as it was not always his companion. Gazing at the Lord who was standing right in front of him, blink less, Sri Bheeshmacharya’s lotus of heart blossomed.

विशुद्धया धारणया हताशुभ स्तदीक्षयैवाशु गतायुधव्यथः ।

निवृत्तसर्वेन्द्रियवृत्तिविभ्रमस्तुष्टाव जन्यं विसृजञ्जनार्दनम् ॥ ३१॥

This way, Sri Bheeshmacharya having absolutely no expectations whatsoever doing meditation wore the form of Lord through Dharana on to his memory firmly. In that Dharana yoga, all sins causing inauspiciousness fled out of him. The most compassionate Lord Sri Krishna had a glimpse of Sri Bheeshmacharya destroying all the pains. The pain equivalent to a summation of eight garbhavasa or in eight births. Also, the pain inflicted by several weapons including the arrows that had pierced through him in the war disappeared. As the time to forego the body was arriving, Sri Bheeshmacharya stopped all the activities of exterior sensory organs filled with bhakti sang the praises of the Lord. 

Let's pray to Hari, Vayu, and Gurus for their continued Jnana Prasada to take a look at the balance part of Bheeshma Stuti.

|| Hari Om ||

|| Sri Krishnarpanamastu ||