Text 23] Bhisma’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 Krsna at the deathbed of Bhismaji is due to
his being an unflinching devotee of the Lord. Arjuna had some bodily
relation with Krsna because the Lord happened to be his maternal cousin.
But Bhisma 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 Maharaja Nanda, the son of Yasoda, the lover of
Radharani. This affinity by bodily relation with the Lord is another
feature of reciprocating loving service to the Lord. Bhismadeva is con-
scious of this sweetness of transcendental humor, and therefore he likes
to address the Lord as Vijaya Sakhe, Partha Sakhe, etc., exactly like
Nanda-Nandana or Yasoda-Nandana. The best way to establish our rela-
tion 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

AFANSSTH AAT TTY ATT TAN aha |
TY HAA AA FETT BFA: 112311

bhaktya *vesya mano yasmin
vaca yan-nama kirtayan

tyajan kalevaram yogi
mucyate kama-karmabhih

bhaktya—with devout attention; dvesya—meditating; manah—mind;
yasmin—in whose; vaca—by words; yat—whose; nama—holy name; kirtayan
—by chanting; tyajan—quitting; kalevaram—this material body; yogi—the
devotee; mucyate—gets release; kama-karmabhih—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.
