English
17 February 2024
Bhishma Ashtami
Speaker: HG Acharya prabhu
HG Padmamali prabhu: Today we will continue with the festival series. Today is Bhisma ashtami. Bhisma dev is one of the 12 Mahajans. Next week it is Nityananda Trayodasi. We will have 3 days session by HG Sarvabhauma prabhu from 20 to 22 February. We request everyone to join.Today We will hear from HG Acharya prabhu.
HG Acharya prabhu: Hearing about Vaishnavas is the best festival. Shantanu Maharaja was married to Ganga devi. But before getting married Ganga devi told him that whatever she does, he wouldn’t question her. When ever a child was born,Ganga devi would put it in the River Ganges.Like this she killed her seven children.Finally on the birth of eighth child,Shantanu Maharaj asked her,why are you doing this.She said you had promised me that if you ever question me, I'll leave you. So she told that I'm not an ordinary lady but Ganga.
So she left Bhishma which was her eighth child with Shantanu Maharaj. His name was Devavrata. He was trained under Parshuram. After his training,Devavrata was returned back to Shantanu Maharaj. Shantanu Maharaj met Satyavati and wanted to marry her.But Satyavati father’s had conditions for Shantanu Maharaj that her son should become the next ruler of the Kingdom.Shantanu Maharaj was sad as this was against Devavrata, who was going to be the next prince and the most deserving candidate for the throne of the King.
So Devavrata said to his father, I don't want the kingdom.Please marry Satyavati. But when Devavratawas questioned about his children and the upcoming generation, they may claim the Kingdom in the future.So Devavrata took a vow that he shall not marry and have children his entire life. This strong vow was applauded even by the demigods and his name was given Bhishma.
Bhishma deva even fought with Parshuram once and pleased him and got a blessing that he shall never be defeated in the battle.All his life, he protected the kingdom of Hastinapur.By the mercy of Guru Maharaj, we went with Padayatra to Kurukshetra where the family battle was fought. In the battle,Balaram was not happy so he left for pilgrimage. Lord Krsna said I can't leave my friendArjuna, so I will not fight but I will be like an advisor and my Narayani army will fight on the other side.
For 18 days, the war was held. During the war, Bhishma deva fought on the side of Duryodhana. One time Duryodhana took a vow that he will kill the 5 Pandavas or he will break Krsna’s vow to not take a weapon. Krsna told Draupadi to go and ask Bhisma deva for blessings. And Bhisma deva was meditating so without looking he gave her the blessings, saying may you be always married. When Duryodhana saw that it was Draupadi, he knew how can this be. I have vowed to kill the 5 Pandavas. So he said this is all Krsna’s tricks.
So next day he fought very strongly against Krsna and Arjuna. Lord Krsna’s transcendental body was pierced by arrows and covered in blood and dirt. Srila Vishvanath Chakravarthi thakur says, that these didn't hurt the Lord but was pleasing. Just as a lover is pleased by his lovers bites and scratches. In Srimad Bhagavatam, we hear Bhishma deva glorifying the Lord on his death bed.
śrī-bhīṣma uvāca
iti matir upakalpitā vitṛṣṇā
bhagavati sātvata-puṅgave vibhūmni
sva-sukham upagate kvacid vihartuṁ
prakṛtim upeyuṣi yad-bhava-pravāhaḥ (ŚB 1.9.32)
Translation: Bhīṣmadeva said: Let me now invest my thinking, feeling and willing, which were so long engaged in different subjects and occupational duties, in the all-powerful Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is always self-satisfied, but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees, He enjoys transcendental pleasure by descending to the material world, although from Him only the material world is created.
tri-bhuvana-kamanaṁ tamāla-varṇaṁ
ravi-kara-gaura-vara-ambaraṁ dadhāne
vapur alaka-kulāvṛtānanābjaṁ
vijaya-sakhe ratir astu me ’navadyā (ŚB 1.9.33)
Translation: Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the intimate friend of Arjuna. He has appeared on this earth in His transcendental body, which resembles the bluish color of the tamāla tree. His body attracts everyone in the three planetary systems [upper, middle and lower]. May His glittering yellow dress and His lotus face, covered with paintings of sandalwood pulp, be the object of my attraction, and may I not desire fruitive results.
He was given the blessing to choose his own time of death. So even when he was lying on a bed of arrows yet he was glorifying the Lord. He worshiped the Lord in the chivalrous mood. When he passed away everyone was quite. Lord Krsna was present there.
anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5)
Translation: And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
Yudhishtir Maharaj became very sad. Bhisma deva served the Lord by pleasing him in the battle. Please read the Bhisma Stuti in the first Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhisma is known as the great Grandfather.
HG Padmamali prabhu: Bhishma deva faced so many difficulties and tolerated so many things. Yet he was always in the service. Similarly HG Acharya prabhu is always in his service like Bhishma deva. From one padayatra, today we have seven padayatra’s. And Lord Chaitanya’s prophecy is being fulfilled in every town and village.
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma (CB Antya 4.126)
Translation: In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.
This is the day before yesterday at a gas station. Guru Maharaj was welcomed on the way. We heard yesterday from HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj that Guru Maharaj had got a Gaudiya math temple in Bhadra. And Guru Maharaj said, Srila Prabhupada was present and I had written him a letter. This was the 1st temple gifted to Iskcon by Gaudiya Math.
Hare Krsna!
