Text 23]
Bhīṣma's Passing Away
465
independent to lord it over the material world. The root cause of all troubles is there in false egoism. One must draw towards the Lord in all circumstances.
The appearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa at the deathbed of Bhīṣmajī is due to his being an unflinching devotee of the Lord. Arjuna had some bodily relation with Kṛṣṇa because the Lord happened to be his maternal cousin. But Bhīṣma had no such bodily relation. Therefore the cause of attraction was due to the intimate relation of the soul. Yet because the relation of the body is very pleasing and natural, the Lord is more pleased when He is addressed as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, the son of Yaśodā, the lover of Rādhārāṇī. This affinity by bodily relation with the Lord is another feature of reciprocating loving service to the Lord. Bhīṣmadeva is conscious of this sweetness of transcendental humor, and therefore he likes to address the Lord as  Vijaya Sakhe ,  Pārtha Sakhe , etc., exactly like  Nanda-Nandana  or  Yaśodā-Nandana . The best way to establish our relation in transcendental sweetness is to approach Him through His recognized devotees. One should not try to establish the relation directly; there must be a via medium which is transparent and competent to lead us to the right path.
TEXT 23
भक्त्याऽऽवेश्य मनो यस्मिन् वाचा यन्नाम कीर्तयन् । त्यजन् कलेवरं योगी मुच्यते कामकर्मभिः ॥२३॥
bhaktyā "veśya mano yasmin vācā yan-nāma kīrtayan tyajan kalevaram yogī mucyate kāma-karmabhiḥ
bhaktyā—with devout attention; āveśya—meditating; manaḥ—mind; yasmin—in whose; vācā—by words; yat—whose; nāma—holy name; kīrtayan—by chanting; tyajan—quitting; kalevaram—this material body; yogī—the devotee; mucyate—gets release; kāma-karmabhiḥ—from fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
The Personality of Godhead, who appears in the mind of the devotee by attentive devotion and meditation and by chanting of the holy name, releases the devotee from the bondage of fruitive activities at the time of his quitting the material body.