तम् अब्रवीच् छांतनवः शिरो मे तात लम्बते ॥
उपधानं कुरुश्रेष्ठ फल्गुनोपनयस्व मे ॥
शयनस्यानुरूपं हि शीघ्रं वीर प्रयच्छ मे ॥
त्वं हि पार्थ महाबाहो श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम् ॥
क्षत्रधर्मस्य वेत्ता च बुद्धिसत्त्वगुणान्वितः ॥
फल्गुनस् तु तथेत्य् उक्त्वा व्यवसायपुरोजवः ॥
प्रगृह्यामन्त्र्य गाण्डीवं शरांश् च नतपर्वणः ॥
अनुमान्य महात्मानं भरतानाम् अमध्यमम् ॥
त्रिभिस् तीक्ष्णैर् महावेगैर् उदगृह्णाच् छिरः शरैः ॥
अभिप्राये तु विदिते धर्मात्मा सव्यसाचिना ॥
अतुष्यद् भरतश्रेष्ठो भीष्मो धर्मार्थतत्त्ववित् ॥
उपधानेन दत्तेन प्रत्यनन्दद् धनंजयम् ॥
कुन्तीपुत्रं युधां श्रेष्ठं सुहृदां प्रीतिवर्धनम् ॥
अनुरूपं शयानस्य पाण्डवोपहितं त्वया ॥
यद्य् अन्यथा प्रवर्तेथाः शपेयं त्वाम् अहं रुषा ॥
एवम् एतन् महाबाहो धर्मेषु परिनिष्ठितम् ॥
स्वप्तव्यं क्षत्रियेणाजौ शरतल्पगतेन वै ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा तु बीभत्सुं सर्वांस् तान् अब्रवीद् वचः ॥
राज्ञश् च राजपुत्रांश् च पाण्डवेनाभि संस्थितान् ॥
शयेयम् अस्यां शय्यायां यावद् आवर्तनं रवेः ॥
ये तदा पारयिष्यन्ति ते मां द्रक्ष्यन्ति वै नृपाः ॥
दिशं वैश्रवणाक्रान्तां यदा गन्ता दिवाकरः ॥
अर्चिष्मान् प्रतपंल् लोकान् रथेनोत्तमतेजसा ॥
विमोक्ष्ये ऽहं तदा प्राणान् सुहृदः सुप्रियान् अपि ॥
परिखा खन्यताम् अत्र ममावसदने नृपाः ॥
उपासिष्ये विवस्वन्तम् एवं शरशताचितः ॥
उपारमध्वं संग्रामाद् वैराण्य् उत्सृज्य पार्थिवाः ॥
tam abravīc chāṃtanavaḥ śiro me tāta lambate ||
upadhānaṃ kuruśreṣṭha phalgunopanayasva me ||
śayanasyānurūpaṃ hi śīghraṃ vīra prayaccha me ||
tvaṃ hi pārtha mahābāho śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanuṣmatām ||
kṣatradharmasya vettā ca buddhisattvaguṇānvitaḥ ||
phalgunas tu tathety uktvā vyavasāyapurojavaḥ ||
pragṛhyāmantrya gāṇḍīvaṃ śarāṃś ca nataparvaṇaḥ ||
anumānya mahātmānaṃ bharatānām amadhyamam ||
tribhis tīkṣṇair mahāvegair udagṛhṇāc chiraḥ śaraiḥ ||
abhiprāye tu vidite dharmātmā savyasācinā ||
atuṣyad bharataśreṣṭho bhīṣmo dharmārthatattvavit ||
upadhānena dattena pratyanandad dhanaṃjayam ||
kuntīputraṃ yudhāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ suhṛdāṃ prītivardhanam ||
anurūpaṃ śayānasya pāṇḍavopahitaṃ tvayā ||
yady anyathā pravartethāḥ śapeyaṃ tvām ahaṃ ruṣā ||
evam etan mahābāho dharmeṣu pariniṣṭhitam ||
svaptavyaṃ kṣatriyeṇājau śaratalpagatena vai ||
evam uktvā tu bībhatsuṃ sarvāṃs tān abravīd vacaḥ ||
rājñaś ca rājaputrāṃś ca pāṇḍavenābhi saṃsthitān ||
śayeyam asyāṃ śayyāyāṃ yāvad āvartanaṃ raveḥ ||
ye tadā pārayiṣyanti te māṃ drakṣyanti vai nṛpāḥ ||
diśaṃ vaiśravaṇākrāntāṃ yadā gantā divākaraḥ ||
arciṣmān pratapaṃl lokān rathenottamatejasā ||
vimokṣye 'haṃ tadā prāṇān suhṛdaḥ supriyān api ||
parikhā khanyatām atra mamāvasadane nṛpāḥ ||
upāsiṣye vivasvantam evaṃ śaraśatācitaḥ ||
upāramadhvaṃ saṃgrāmād vairāṇy utsṛjya pārthivāḥ ||
Bhishma said to him: "My head, child, hangs down. Phalguna, best of the Kurus, quickly give me support fitting for this bed. You indeed, strong-armed Partha, are the foremost of all bowmen, a knower of the kshatriya's dharma, endowed with intellect and steadfastness." Phalguna answered, "So be it," and, driven by firm resolve, took up Gandiva and curved arrows. Having honored the great-souled one, the foremost of the Bharatas, he raised his head with three sharp and swift arrows. When the righteous Savyasachin's intention was understood, Bhishma, the foremost of the Bharatas, knower of the essence of dharma and artha, was pleased, and praised Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, foremost in battle, who delights his friends, for the support given: "Pandava, you have given me what befits my bed. Had you acted otherwise, I would have cursed you in anger. Just so, strong-armed one, it is established in dharma: a kshatriya lying on a bed of arrows in battle must rest thus." Having said this to Bibhatsu, he addressed all the kings and princes standing near the Pandava: "I shall lie upon this bed until the sun turns. Those of you, O kings, who live to see that time, shall see me again. When the radiant sun, warming the worlds, moves on its blazing chariot toward the quarter held by Vaishravana, then I shall release my life-breaths, leaving behind even my dearest friends. Let a moat be dug here, around the place where I lie. Covered with hundreds of arrows, I shall behold Vivasvan. O kings, cease the battle and abandon your enmities."
d27cf2e14573 · published Jul 17, 2026, 10:03:51 PM UTC
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Arjuna gives Bhishma not a soft pillow but a headrest of arrows, exactly matching his heroic bed. Bhishma at once turns a personal request into an instruction for all the kings: even before his passing, he remains a teacher of dharma.