Bhishma and Shri Krishna

Krishna, who had vowed not to take up arms, rushed at Bhishma with the chakra to keep his devotee's vow. Later, on the bed of arrows, Bhishma praised the Lord and gave Yudhishthira the Vishnu Sahasranama.

Before the war Shri Krishna had declared that he would not take up any weapon. Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus and a great devotee of Krishna, was the commander of the Kaurava army. According to the popular tradition, Bhishma vowed that he would make Krishna break his promise and lift a weapon on the battlefield.

Day after day Bhishma's arrows shook the Pandava army. Arjuna, out of love and reverence for his grandfather, was fighting softly. Seeing this, Krishna leapt down from the chariot and ran towards Bhishma. The Mahabharata describes him raising his Sudarshana chakra; in popular tradition and art he is often pictured lifting a chariot wheel. Bhishma lowered his bow and welcomed him with folded hands, saying that to fall by the Lord's own hand would be his greatest blessing. Arjuna ran after Krishna, caught hold of his feet and begged him to return, promising to fight with full strength. Krishna went back to the chariot.

In the Shrimad Bhagavatam, Bhishma later remembers this moment with wonder: the Lord set aside his own vow to make his devotee's vow come true. Krishna did not mind being called a promise-breaker, as long as his devotee's word was kept.

On the tenth day Bhishma fell, and lay on a bed of arrows. Having the boon of choosing the time of his death, he waited for the sun's northern course, Uttarayana. After the war Krishna brought Yudhishthira and the Pandavas to him. Gazing at Krishna, Bhishma offered a beautiful hymn of praise, recalling the Lord as Arjuna's charioteer, and prayed that at the end his mind might rest on him alone.

At Krishna's request, Bhishma taught Yudhishthira the duties of kings and of all people. When Yudhishthira asked who is the one supreme God, by praising whom a person finds peace, Bhishma gave him the Vishnu Sahasranama, the thousand names of Vishnu, which devotees recite to this day. Then, with his eyes fixed on Krishna, Bhishma left his body.

This leela shows the tender bond between the Lord and his devotee. God protects his devotee, keeps his devotee's word above his own, and grants him the grace of seeing the Lord at the moment of departure.

Source

Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, Shanti Parva and Anushasana Parva; Shrimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1, ch. 9

Place

Kurukshetra

Lesson

The Lord keeps his devotee's word above his own and grants him his vision at the final hour.