उपातिष्ठन्न् अथो वैद्याः शल्योद्धरणकोविदाः ॥
सर्वोपकरणैर् युक्ताः कुशलास् ते सुशिक्षिताः ॥
तान् दृष्ट्वा जाह्नवीपुत्रः प्रोवाच वचनं तदा ॥
दत्तदेया विसृज्यन्तां पूजयित्वा चिकित्सकाः ॥
एवंगते न हीदानीं वैद्यैः कार्यम् इहास्ति मे ॥
क्षत्रधर्मप्रशस्तां हि प्राप्तो ऽस्मि परमां गतिम् ॥
नैष धर्मो महीपालाः शरतल्पगतस्य मे ॥
एतैर् एव शरैश् चाहं दग्धव्यो ऽन्ते नराधिपाः ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य पुत्रो दुर्योधनस् तव ॥
वैद्यान् विसर्जयाम् आस पूजयित्वा यथार्हतः ॥
ततस् ते विस्मयं जग्मुर् नानाजनपदेश्वराः ॥
स्थितिं धर्मे परां दृष्ट्वा भीष्मस्यामिततेजसः ॥
उपधानं ततो दत्त्वा पितुस् तव जनेश्वर ॥
सहिताः पाण्डवाः सर्वे कुरवश् च महारथाः ॥
उपगम्य महात्मानं शयानं शयने शुभे ॥
ते ऽभिवाद्य ततो भीष्मं कृत्वा चाभिप्रदक्षिणम् ॥
विधाय रक्षां भीष्मस्य सर्व एव समन्ततः ॥
वीराः स्वशिबिराण्य् एव ध्यायन्तः परमातुराः ॥
निवेशायाभ्युपागच्छन् सायाह्ने रुधिरोक्षिताः ॥
upātiṣṭhann atho vaidyāḥ śalyoddharaṇakovidāḥ ||
sarvopakaraṇair yuktāḥ kuśalās te suśikṣitāḥ ||
tān dṛṣṭvā jāhnavīputraḥ provāca vacanaṃ tadā ||
dattadeyā visṛjyantāṃ pūjayitvā cikitsakāḥ ||
evaṃgate na hīdānīṃ vaidyaiḥ kāryam ihāsti me ||
kṣatradharmapraśastāṃ hi prāpto 'smi paramāṃ gatim ||
naiṣa dharmo mahīpālāḥ śaratalpagatasya me ||
etair eva śaraiś cāhaṃ dagdhavyo 'nte narādhipāḥ ||
tac chrutvā vacanaṃ tasya putro duryodhanas tava ||
vaidyān visarjayām āsa pūjayitvā yathārhataḥ ||
tatas te vismayaṃ jagmur nānājanapadeśvarāḥ ||
sthitiṃ dharme parāṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīṣmasyāmitatejasaḥ ||
upadhānaṃ tato dattvā pitus tava janeśvara ||
sahitāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ sarve kuravaś ca mahārathāḥ ||
upagamya mahātmānaṃ śayānaṃ śayane śubhe ||
te 'bhivādya tato bhīṣmaṃ kṛtvā cābhipradakṣiṇam ||
vidhāya rakṣāṃ bhīṣmasya sarva eva samantataḥ ||
vīrāḥ svaśibirāṇy eva dhyāyantaḥ paramāturāḥ ||
niveśāyābhyupāgacchan sāyāhne rudhirokṣitāḥ ||
Then the physicians came forward, skilled in extracting arrows, skillful, well-trained, and equipped with all their instruments. Seeing them, the son of Ganga then said: "Honor the physicians with gifts and dismiss them. In my present condition there is no longer any task here for physicians. I have attained the supreme state praised by the kshatriya's dharma. O earthly lords, such is not the duty for me, lying on a bed of arrows: with these very arrows I must in the end be burned." Hearing his words, your son Duryodhana honored the physicians as was fitting and dismissed them. Then the lords of various lands were filled with wonder, seeing the supreme steadfastness in dharma of Bhishma of immeasurable splendor. After a headrest had been given to your forefather, all the Pandavas together with the great chariot-warriors of the Kurus approached the great Bhishma, lying upon his splendid bed. They bowed to him, circled him to the right, and, having set a guard around Bhishma on every side, returned in the evening, bloodstained and sorrowfully absorbed in thought, to their own camps.
18abeea135e9 · published Jul 17, 2026, 10:03:51 PM UTC
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Bhishma refuses the physicians because his wounds are no longer a medical matter. He accepts the arrows as part of his kshatriya's completion, even of his future funeral fire.