हा हेति दिवि देवानां पार्थिवानां च सर्वशः ॥
पतमाने रथाद् भीष्मे बभूव सुमहान् स्वनः ॥
तं पतन्तम् अभिप्रेक्ष्य महात्मानं पितामहम् ॥
सह भीष्मेण सर्वेषां प्रापतन् हृदयानि नः ॥
स पपात महाबाहुर् वसुधाम् अनुनादयन् ॥
इन्द्रध्वज इवोत्सृष्टः केतुः सर्वधनुष्मताम् ॥
धरणीं नास्पृशच् चापि शरसंघैः समाचितः ॥
शरतल्पे महेष्वासं शयानं पुरुषर्षभम् ॥
रथात् प्रपतितं चैनं दिव्यो भावः समाविशत् ॥
अभ्यवर्षत पर्जन्यः प्राकम्पत च मेदिनी ॥
पतन् स ददृशे चापि खर्वितं च दिवाकरम् ॥
संज्ञां चैवालभद् वीरः कालं संचिन्त्य भारत ॥
अन्तरिक्षे च शुश्राव दिव्यां वाचं समन्ततः ॥
कथं महात्मा गाङ्गेयः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः ॥
कालं कर्ता नरव्याघ्रः संप्राप्ते दक्षिणायने ॥
स्थितो ऽस्मीति च गाङ्गेयस् तच् छ्रुत्वा वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
धारयाम् आस च प्राणान् पतितो ऽपि हि भूतले ॥
उत्तरायणम् अन्विच्छन् भीष्मः कुरुपितामहः ॥
तस्य तन् मतम् आज्ञाय गङ्गा हिमवतः सुता ॥
महर्षीन् हंसरूपेण प्रेषयाम् आस तत्र वै ॥
ततः संपातिनो हंसास् त्वरिता मानसौकसः ॥
आजग्मुः सहिता द्रष्टुं भीष्मं कुरुपितामहम् ॥
यत्र शेते नरश्रेष्ठः शरतल्पे पितामहः ॥
ते तु भीष्मं समासाद्य मुनयो हंसरूपिणः ॥
अपश्यञ् शरतल्पस्थं भीष्मं कुरुपितामहम् ॥
ते तं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानं कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम् ॥
गाङ्गेयं भरतश्रेष्ठं दक्षिणेन च भास्करम् ॥
इतरेतरम् आमन्त्र्य प्राहुस् तत्र मनीषिणः ॥
भीष्म एव महात्मा सन् संस्थाता दक्षिणायने ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा प्रस्थितान् हंसान् दक्षिणाम् अभितो दिशम् ॥
संप्रेक्ष्य वै महाबुद्धिश् चिन्तयित्वा च भारत ॥
तान् अब्रवीच् छांतनवो नाहं गन्ता कथं चन ॥
दक्षिणावृत्त आदित्ये एतन् मे मनसि स्थितम् ॥
गमिष्यामि स्वकं स्थानम् आसीद् यन् मे पुरातनम् ॥
उदगावृत्त आदित्ये हंसाः सत्यं ब्रवीमि वः ॥
धारयिष्याम्य् अहं प्राणान् उत्तरायणकाङ्क्षया ॥
ऐश्वर्यभूतः प्राणानाम् उत्सर्गे नियतो ह्य् अहम् ॥
तस्मात् प्राणान् धारयिष्ये मुमूर्षुर् उदगायने ॥
यश् च दत्तो वरो मह्यं पित्रा तेन महात्मना ॥
छन्दतो मृत्युर् इत्य् एवं तस्य चास्तु वरस् तथा ॥
धारयिष्ये ततः प्राणान् उत्सर्गे नियते सति ॥
इत्य् उक्त्वा तांस् तदा हंसान् अशेत शरतल्पगः ॥
hā heti divi devānāṃ pārthivānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ ||
patamāne rathād bhīṣme babhūva sumahān svanaḥ ||
taṃ patantam abhiprekṣya mahātmānaṃ pitāmaham ||
saha bhīṣmeṇa sarveṣāṃ prāpatan hṛdayāni naḥ ||
sa papāta mahābāhur vasudhām anunādayan ||
indradhvaja ivotsṛṣṭaḥ ketuḥ sarvadhanuṣmatām ||
dharaṇīṃ nāspṛśac cāpi śarasaṃghaiḥ samācitaḥ ||
śaratalpe maheṣvāsaṃ śayānaṃ puruṣarṣabham ||
rathāt prapatitaṃ cainaṃ divyo bhāvaḥ samāviśat ||
abhyavarṣata parjanyaḥ prākampata ca medinī ||
patan sa dadṛśe cāpi kharvitaṃ ca divākaram ||
saṃjñāṃ caivālabhad vīraḥ kālaṃ saṃcintya bhārata ||
antarikṣe ca śuśrāva divyāṃ vācaṃ samantataḥ ||
kathaṃ mahātmā gāṅgeyaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
kālaṃ kartā naravyāghraḥ saṃprāpte dakṣiṇāyane ||
sthito 'smīti ca gāṅgeyas tac chrutvā vākyam abravīt ||
dhārayām āsa ca prāṇān patito 'pi hi bhūtale ||
uttarāyaṇam anvicchan bhīṣmaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ ||
tasya tan matam ājñāya gaṅgā himavataḥ sutā ||
maharṣīn haṃsarūpeṇa preṣayām āsa tatra vai ||
tataḥ saṃpātino haṃsās tvaritā mānasaukasaḥ ||
ājagmuḥ sahitā draṣṭuṃ bhīṣmaṃ kurupitāmaham ||
yatra śete naraśreṣṭhaḥ śaratalpe pitāmahaḥ ||
te tu bhīṣmaṃ samāsādya munayo haṃsarūpiṇaḥ ||
apaśyañ śaratalpasthaṃ bhīṣmaṃ kurupitāmaham ||
te taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahātmānaṃ kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam ||
gāṅgeyaṃ bharataśreṣṭhaṃ dakṣiṇena ca bhāskaram ||
itaretaram āmantrya prāhus tatra manīṣiṇaḥ ||
bhīṣma eva mahātmā san saṃsthātā dakṣiṇāyane ||
ity uktvā prasthitān haṃsān dakṣiṇām abhito diśam ||
saṃprekṣya vai mahābuddhiś cintayitvā ca bhārata ||
tān abravīc chāṃtanavo nāhaṃ gantā kathaṃ cana ||
dakṣiṇāvṛtta āditye etan me manasi sthitam ||
gamiṣyāmi svakaṃ sthānam āsīd yan me purātanam ||
udagāvṛtta āditye haṃsāḥ satyaṃ bravīmi vaḥ ||
dhārayiṣyāmy ahaṃ prāṇān uttarāyaṇakāṅkṣayā ||
aiśvaryabhūtaḥ prāṇānām utsarge niyato hy aham ||
tasmāt prāṇān dhārayiṣye mumūrṣur udagāyane ||
yaś ca datto varo mahyaṃ pitrā tena mahātmanā ||
chandato mṛtyur ity evaṃ tasya cāstu varas tathā ||
dhārayiṣye tataḥ prāṇān utsarge niyate sati ||
ity uktvā tāṃs tadā haṃsān aśeta śaratalpagaḥ ||
As Bhishma fell from his chariot, a great cry of 'Ha! Ha!' rose in heaven among the gods and everywhere among the earthly kings. Seeing the noble grandsire fall, it was as though all our hearts fell together with Bhishma. The mighty-armed one fell, making the earth resound, like the fallen standard of Indra, the banner of all archers. Yet, upheld by masses of arrows, he did not even touch the ground. When this great archer, the bull among men, fell from his chariot and lay down upon a bed of arrows, a divine state came over him. Rain poured down, the earth trembled, and as he fell he saw that the sun was already sinking low. The hero regained consciousness and, reflecting on the hour, heard a divine voice from every side in the sky: 'How can the noble Gangeya, the best of all bearers of weapons, O tiger among men, give up his body now that dakshinayana has arrived?' Hearing this, Gangeya said, 'I remain.' Even fallen to the ground, Bhishma, grandsire of the Kurus, held his life-breaths, awaiting uttarayana. Learning his intention, Ganga, daughter of Himavat, sent great sages there in the form of swans. Then the swift hamsas, dwellers of Lake Manasa, hastened together to see Bhishma, grandsire of the Kurus, there where the best of men lay upon his bed of arrows. The sages in the form of swans, having reached Bhishma, saw him, the grandsire of the Kurus, lying upon the arrows. Seeing this great soul and circling him with their right side toward him, they noticed the sun on its southern course. Then the sages, turning to one another, said, 'Can Bhishma, great soul that he is, really die in dakshinayana?' Having said this, the hamsas set out toward the south. Seeing them and reflecting, Shantanava, of great wisdom, said to them: 'I will not depart in any way while the sun moves southward; this is fixed in my mind. I will go to my own place, which was mine of old, when the sun turns northward, O hamsas; I speak the truth to you. I will hold my life-breaths, awaiting uttarayana. I am master over my life-breaths and free in the timing of my departure; therefore I will hold my life, wishing to die during the northern course of the sun. And the boon that was given to me by my great-souled father - death at my own will - let that boon be fulfilled. Therefore I will hold my life-breaths until my departure is appointed.' Having said this to the hamsas, he remained lying upon the bed of arrows.
ac945a530fa1 · published Jul 17, 2026, 10:03:50 PM UTC
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Bhishma's fall immediately passes from a military event into a yogic one. He does not die from his wounds but holds his life by the power of a boon and of consciousness, awaiting the auspicious northern course of the sun.