- Anushasana Parva

INDEX

Anushasana Parva

The Final Instructions of Grandfather Bhishma

Maharaja Yudhisthira then began to rule the kingdom under the direction of the
twice born brahmanas. After the coronation ceremony had been completed, King
Yudhisthira approached Lord Krishna and offered the following prayers, Through
Your grace, O Krishna, I have received this ancestral kingdom. O foremost of
the Yadus, O lotus-eyed Lord, I repeatedly offer my humble obeisances unto
you.
You have been glorified as the Supreme Lord, one without a second. The great
sages and brahmanas know You by many names. Obeisances unto You, O Creator of
the world. You are the soul of all universes, and You are the support of this
manifest creation. You are Vishnu, Hari and Krishna. You are the Lord of
Vaikuntha and the foremost of all beings. Previously You have taken Your birth
as Prishnigarbha, the son of Prishni and Sutapa. Another of Your names, O
Lord,
is Triyuga. You are the Lord of the senses and are, therefore, known as
Hrishikesha. You are the great swan, Hamsa Avatara; the boar, Varaha; and the
half man, half lion, Nrisimhadeva. You are the sun, the moon and the
firmament.
You are the chief of the celestials, Indra, and You are the beginning, the
middle and the end of all creation. You are Dhruva, You are Garuda and You are
the great sage Kapila. You are the Supersoul in the heart of every living
being. Obeisances unto You, O Lord, who wield the Sarnga bow, the Sudarshana
discus and the Kamodaki club. Hearing the pure glorification by King
Yudhisthira, Lord Krishna smiled. That smile captivated the hearts of all
present. The lotus eyed Lord then conversed with His pure devotee, gladdening
the pious King`s heart.

Emperor Yudhisthira then instructed his brothers, Your bodies have been
scorched by the weapons of the enemy. You are greatly fatigued and need
sufficient rest. Go to the palaces assigned to each of you and begin to enjoy
this opulent kingdom. With the permission of the King, Maharaja Bhima then
entered the palace that was once the home of Duryodhana. It was very opulent
and was filled with male and female servants. Arjuna then entered the palace
that formerly belonged to Duhshasana. This palace had a gateway that was made
of solid gold. Lord Krishna and Satyaki also took up their residence in that
opulent palace. Nakula and Sahadeva then entered the palaces that formerly
belonged to Durmashana and Durmukha. These palaces vied in opulence with the
abodes of Kuvera.

After resting the night, King Yudhisthira came to Arjuna`s palace and greeted
Lord Krishna and his brother. In King Yudhisthira`s presence, Lord Krishna
began to glorify Grandfather Bhishma, That foremost descendent of the Kuru
race, Bhishma, is lying on a bed of arrows about to pass away. He is always
thinking of Me. Because of this, My mind is also fixed on him. The sound of
his
bowstring and the slap of his palms, even Indra was unable to bear. I can
remember how he vanquished all the great Kings at the svayamvara ceremony of
the princesses of Kashi. I am thinking of him who fought with his martial guru
for twenty three days continuously. Parashurama was unable to subdue him. I am
thinking of him who took his birth as the son of Ganga. He became the intimate
student of Vashistha Muni, and because of this, he is the veritable abode of
the four Vedas and their branches. There is nothing that is not known to him.
O
Yudhisthira, I think that at this time you should approach him and inquire
about anything that you wish to know. Time is short. When the sun set its
course in the northern regions, the son of Ganga will leave his body and
attain
to the higher regions. Before that happens, you should approach him and
question him concerning the rulership of this kingdom.

Agreeing to the proposal of Lord Krishna, King Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna,
Nakula and Sahadeva ascended their chariots and made their way in procession
to
Kurukshetra. At that time Maharaja Bhishma was surrounded by the foremost of
the sages and rishis. By his side was Vyasadeva and Narada Muni. There were
other great sages present such as Devala, Asita, Sumantu, Jaimini, Maitreya,
Chyavana, Vashistha, Sanat Kumara, Kapila, Valmiki and Lomasa. There was also
Parashurama, Pulaha, Kashyapa, Pulastya, Parasara, Gautama and the great sage
Markandeya. Stretched out on a bed of arrows, that tiger among men was in rapt
concentration on the transcendental form of the Lord. He was glorifying the
Lord with a cheerful and strong voice.

O Krishna, Maharaja Bhishma prayed, O foremost of all beings, be pleased
with my words praising Your glories. My Lord You are the only transcendent
reality. You are the Supreme Lord, and I seek Your refuge with all my heart. O
Lord of all creatures, You are without beginning and without end. You glories
cannot be enumerated. Not even the great sages and rishis can know You fully.
All the worlds and all created beings have their abode in You. Like jewels
strung together on a thread, all things that have attributes reside in thee.
You are called Hari, having a thousand hands, a thousand feet, a thousand eyes
and a thousand crowns. Thou art called Narayana because You are the resting
place of all living beings. In all the Vedas, You are referred to as the
Supreme Being of irresistible force. You are the Lord of those that are bound
to You in faith and devotion. You have been born from Devaki and Vasudeva as
fire is generated from two sticks. For one`s eternal salvation, the devout
worshipper, with mind withdrawn from all material objects, beholds You, O
Govinda, in the core of the heart. O Lord of all creatures, I place myself in
Your hands. In the Puranas You have been spoken of as the Purusha, as Brahma,
and as Sankarshana. You are the greatest of all beings, and therefore, I adore