इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा ततः कुरुपितामहः ॥
उवाच मतिमान् भीष्मस् तान् एव वसुधाधिपान् ॥
उक्तस्योक्तस्य नेहान्तम् अहं समुपलक्षये ॥
यत् तु वक्ष्यामि तत् सर्वं शृणुध्वं वसुधाधिपाः ॥
पशुवद् घातनं वा मे दहनं वा कटाग्निना ॥
क्रियतां मूर्ध्नि वो न्यस्तं मयेदं सकलं पदम् ॥
iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā tataḥ kurupitāmahaḥ ||
uvāca matimān bhīṣmas tān eva vasudhādhipān ||
uktasyoktasya nehāntam ahaṃ samupalakṣaye ||
yat tu vakṣyāmi tat sarvaṃ śṛṇudhvaṃ vasudhādhipāḥ ||
paśuvad ghātanaṃ vā me dahanaṃ vā kaṭāgninā ||
kriyatāṃ mūrdhni vo nyastaṃ mayedaṃ sakalaṃ padam ||
Having heard their word, the grandfather of the Kurus, wise Bhishma, said to those lords of the earth: "To what has been said and said again here I see no end; but hear all that I shall say, O lords of the earth: let my slaughter be done, as of an animal, or my burning by a fire of straw — even so, this whole foot has been set by me upon your heads."
812cecbd8208 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:21 PM UTC
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Under threat of death Bhishma does not yield an inch: "let them kill me — my foot is upon your heads." This calm before death is telling: one who is not attached to the body cannot be threatened through the body. The verse teaches that the fearlessness of the righteous is rooted in readiness to die: he who has taken from the enemy all power over his own life has taken from him all power whatsoever. Bhishma does not bargain for mercy and does not soften his words under the knife, for standing in truth is dearer to him than living. And herein lies the highest freedom: one who has accepted death before it comes can no longer be compelled to falsehood or cowardice.