Lying on a bed of arrows after the great war, he fixes his dying eyes on Krishna's battle-scarred face and sings his final hymn.
Appears in
Bhishma leaves his body on the bed of arrows — Skandha 1, adhyaya 9 — Lying on iron shafts at Kurukshetra, the grandsire answers Yudhishthira's grief, gazes at Krishna's battle-scarred face, and departs.
Embodies
Devotion under trial — A boy thrown from cliffs, a child sent out by his stepmother: faith in the Bhagavatam is proven where it costs the most.
Surrender and grace — Rescue comes when strength runs out: the elephant, the queen and the king are saved at the point they stop relying on themselves.
Questions to explore
Why does Bhishma remember Krishna on the battlefield with dust in his hair and wounds from Bhishma's own arrows?
What did Bhishma teach Yudhishthira from the bed of arrows before he died?
Why did Bhishma wait for the sun's northern course (Uttarayana) and for Krishna's presence before leaving his body?
