442
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 9]
PURPORT
Lord Kṛṣṇa was also a younger cousin of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira as well as the intimate friend of Arjuna. But all the family members of the Pāṇḍavas knew Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord, although conscious of His supreme position, always behaved in a humanly custom, and so He also bowed down before the dying Bhīṣmadeva as if He were one of the younger brothers of King Yudhiṣṭhira.
TEXT 5
तत्र ब्रह्मर्षयः सर्वे देवर्षयश्च सत्तम । राजर्षयश्च तत्रासन् द्रष्टुं भरतपुङ्गवम् ॥ ५ ॥
tatra brahmarṣayaḥ sarve devarṣayaś ca sattama rājarṣayaś ca tatrāsan draṣṭum bharata-puṅgavam
tatra—there; brahma-rṣayaḥ—rṣis among the brāhmaṇas; sarve—all; deva-rṣayaḥ—rṣis among the demigods; ca—and; sattama—situated in the quality of goodness; rāja-rṣayaḥ—rṣis among the kings; ca—and; tatra—in that place; asan—were present; draṣṭum—just to see; bharata—descendant of King Bharata; puṅgavam—and the chief of them.
TRANSLATION
Just to see the chief of the descendants of King Bharata [Bhīṣma], all the great souls in the universe, namely the rṣis amongst the demigods, brāhmaṇas and kings, all situated in the quality of goodness, were assembled there.
PURPORT
The rṣis are those who have attained perfection by spiritual achievements. Such spiritual achievements can be earned by all, whether one is a king or a mendicant. Bhīṣmadeva himself was also one of the brahmarṣis and the chief of the descendants of King Bharata. All rṣis are situated in the quality of goodness. All of them assembled there on hearing the news of the great warrior's impending death.