Chapter summary
भीष्मजननम् Bhīṣma Jananam
The Blessed Guru said: In the illustrious lunar dynasty reigned King Śantanu, a monarch of immense strength, unwavering righteousness, and steadfast adherence to truth, ever dedicated to the protection of Dharma. Such was his unique power that anyone, however aged, whom he touched with his hands would instantly regain their youth. This very act of bestowing supreme tranquility (śānti) upon others earned him the fitting name Śantanu. (v.1-2) Yet, despite performing various meritorious deeds and being blessed with worthy wives, the king remained without progeny. One day, having duly worshipped the revered sage Parāśara, King Śantanu approached him with folded hands and bowed in reverence. (v.3-4)
**The King said:**
"O best of Brahmins," the King began, "my lineage, which arose from King Soma and was gloriously expanded by great rulers like Purūravas, Yayāti, and Bharata, now faces the threat of being cut off due to my own past sins, O Lord. I implore you, O crest-jewel of sages, to extend this line of progeny through your divine grace." (v.5-6) "It is only through the birth of virtuous progeny, O most learned of all who know the scriptures, that all our ancestors are satisfied and our family deities are pleased. I know well the scriptural injunction that a son repays the debt to his ancestors on earth through his own offspring, yet I find myself at a loss as to the means to achieve this." (v.7-8) "To protect both my family duties and the sacred duties of a king, O crest-jewel of sages, I ardently desire a virtuous son, one who is the foremost among the devotees of Hari." (v.9)
**Śrī Parāśara said:**
"Do not grieve, O great king," Śrī Parāśara replied. "There is no sin in you in this present life. The obstacle is surely a misdeed committed in a previous birth." (v.10) "Indeed, he who causes an abortion, whether of his own child or another's, through medicine or poison, will find himself without a son. Similarly, those who kill infants, whether by their own hand or another's, and those who abandon their lawful wife, are denied the fortune of a son. A sinner who, in a previous life, milks a cow with a young calf, or who cuts down a sacred Aśvattha tree, will also remain childless. And he who needlessly slays snakes dwelling in anthills in the forest, merely to steal their fabled serpent-gem, will likewise have no son." (v.11-14) "Thus, many kinds of sin can lead to the loss of a son. Therefore, O king, you must make a concerted effort to remove these accumulated sins." (v.15)
**The King said:**
"O sage," the King implored, "please tell me the means for the destruction of these misdeeds done in a previous birth, and for the attainment of a virtuous son." (v.16)
**Śrī Parāśara said:**
"Lord Hari, the all-powerful repository of compassion, is supremely capable of bestowing Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa upon His devotees." (v.17) "There exists a great sacred place named Srirangam [one of the 108 Divya Deśams, holy abodes of Vishnu], situated on the bank of the Sahya-born river, the Kaveri. There, Hari Himself is eternally present. Go there, O great king, especially when the sun is in the sign of Libra (Tulā), and performing your ablutions daily in the sacred Kaveri, worship Lord Krishna." (v.18-19) "Offer wealth, grain, a house, and a cow to the Brahmins, for Brahmins are Lord Vishnu Himself; Brahmins embody all the deities." (v.20) "By merely residing in Srirangam, all sin is destroyed. By the boundless grace of Lord Ranganatha, you will surely be blessed with the good fortune of a son." (v.21)
**The Blessed Guru said:**
Thus instructed by the great-souled chief of sages, King Śantanu, having bowed to him and received his leave, set forth for the holy city of Srirangam. There, bathing daily in the sacred waters of the Kaveri, he devoutly worshipped Keśava, Lord Ranganatha, especially during the auspicious month of Tulā. (v.22-23) That king commissioned the construction of a magnificent hall (maṇḍapa) within the temple, adorned with various exquisite arts of sculpture and painting, crafted from gold and precious gems. Daily, with profound devotion, he gave gifts to Brahmins – to the humble, to those learned in the Vedas, and to the steadfast devotees of Vishnu. (v.24-25) Then, having performed the concluding ceremony of the Tulā-snāna vow and having received the divine grace of Vishnu, he returned to his own city. (v.26)
Soon thereafter, in a short span of time, a great son was born to Ganga – the foremost among the Vasus. Indeed, the king himself was Varuṇa in a previous birth. This son became renowned on earth as Devavrata and Bhishma, celebrated for his devotion to his father, his unwavering commitment to truth, and his firm vow of celibacy. (v.27-28) He was the preeminent among all who knew the scriptures, the foremost among all who understood Dharma, a warrior of immense valour, wise, a great hero, and possessed of formidable strength. His wisdom was profound, his renunciation vast; he was the best of great devotees of the Lord, a supreme yogi, a magnanimous soul, venerable, and truly great-minded. (v.29-30) Such a son did Hari, the compassionate Lord Ranganatha, who is ever affectionate to those who take refuge in Him, bestow upon Śantanu. (v.31)
The wish-fulfilling cow (Kāmadhenu), the wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpavṛkṣa), and the wish-fulfilling gem (Cintāmaṇi) are all embodied in Lord Ranganatha Himself, the supreme bestower of desired fruits to His devotees. (v.32) He who, devoid of faith and devotion, disregards Him in this world and suffers from poverty, is truly wretched, utterly wretched. It is akin to worrying about ghee when butter is already in hand; similarly, people needlessly worry about their welfare even when Lord Ranganatha, the very embodiment of auspiciousness, is directly present before them. (v.33-34)
Thus, the thirtieth chapter, named "The Birth of Bhishma," in the Fourth Part of the "Divyadeśavaibhavam" composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
