भीष्म स्तुति — Benefits & How to Chant
भीष्म स्तुति
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting भीष्म स्तुति
Regarded as the supreme model of fixing the mind on the Lord at the hour of death
Inspires unwavering, one-pointed devotion (ananya bhakti) to Lord Krishna
Dissolves the delusion of duality and reveals the Lord seated in every heart
Recited for a peaceful, conscious and fearless passing, as Bhishma attained
Frees the heart from worldly craving (vitrishna) and attachment
Held to bestow liberation (moksha) through loving remembrance of the Lord's form
Cultivates the vision that sees God's beauty even amid hardship and conflict
How to Chant भीष्म स्तुति
Instructions
Bathe and sit calmly facing east before an image of Lord Krishna. Recite the Bhishma Stuti slowly, picturing Krishna as Bhishma beheld Him on the field of Kurukshetra. Reflect on each verse as a meditation on fixing the mind wholly on the Lord. It is read daily by devotees as a hymn of surrender, and is traditionally recited for the peace and liberation of the dying and the departed, since Bhishma attained the Lord by this very prayer at the moment of death.
Spiritual Significance
It is said that Bhishma, by the power of his unbroken devotion, beheld the four-armed Lord Krishna standing before him and merged his life-breath into Him while gazing upon that form, attaining liberation at the very moment of death. Devotees hold that to remember the Lord with such love at the hour of passing, as Bhishma did, secures the soul's union with God.
Origin & History
Source: Srimad Bhagavata Purana, First Canto, Chapter 9
Author: Veda Vyasa (the prayer spoken by Bhishma; narrated by Suta to the sages)
After the great war of Kurukshetra, Bhishma Pitamaha — the grand patriarch of the Kuru dynasty, who had the boon of choosing the time of his own death — lay upon a bed of arrows awaiting the auspicious northern course of the sun (Uttarayana). Krishna came to him with the Pandavas, and Bhishma instructed Yudhishthira at length on dharma. Then, as his final hour approached, Bhishma turned away from all else and fixed his mind and eyes wholly upon Lord Krishna. In these verses he expresses his love for the Lord's dark, beautiful form, recalls Krishna's deeds upon the battlefield — including the moment Krishna abandoned His own vow and charged at Bhishma with a chariot wheel to protect Arjuna — and, freed of every trace of duality, surrenders his soul into the Supreme and gives up his body in full consciousness.