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A devotee's prayer

CHENNAI : The Vedas explain the nature of the Supreme Being and Vyasa composed the Mahabharata for the edification of those who cannot peruse the Vedas. The epic is a veritable encyclopaedia encompassing the subject matter of the Vedas.

In his discourse, Sri Goda Venketeswara Sastri said the hymn Vishnu Sahasranama, which occurred in the Anusasana Parva of the Mahabharata was the culmination of the enunciation of Dharma by Bhishma to Yudhishthira. The merit of this hymn can be appreciated from the fact that all associated with its genesis were the very embodiment of Dharma. Vyasa who compiled the Vedas inscribed the hymn, and Bhishma chanted it before Lord Krishna as a finale to his discourse on Dharma to Yudhishthira.

After the war though Yudhishthira became the king of Hastinapura, he was depressed having seen at first hand the tragic consequences of the fratricidal war that had only brought destruction all round. He turned to Krishna as he always did for solace and guidance on his duties as a king. Though Krishna had taught Arjuna in the battlefield (the Bhagavad Gita), just then He was hastening to Bhishma's side for he was awaiting his end.

Duryodana had taunted Bhishma when as the commander he had not made any progress in the first nine days of the war and the grandsire then vowed to make Krishna wield arms, which He had sworn not to (so He became Arjuna's charioteer). The next day Bhishma fought so fiercely that Lord Krishna jumped from the chariot dropping the reins of His horses. Immediately His discus sprang in His hand and He rushed towards Bhishma. And what a vision that great devotee Bhishma saw! It was Krishna with a perspiring face besmeared with dust and disarrayed upper cloth rushing towards him to fulfil His devotee's word.

For a moment the din of the battlefield was forgotten and Bhishma prayed that he should have such a vision during his last moments. That was granted when he was asked to teach Yudhishthira and he recited the Vishnu Sahasranama before Lord Krishna.

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