Bhishma Pitamah glorifies Krishna on his deathbed at Kurukshetra
Twelve mahajanas are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam – Bali, Bhisma Pitamah, Lord Brahma, Janaka, Kapiladeva, Narada Muni, Sanat-Kumar, Shiva, Prahlada, Sukadeva Goswami, Svayambhuva Manu, Yamaraj. All of these twelve mahajanas are exalted devotees of the Supreme Lord and authorities on the science of devotion. Bhishma Pitamah, one of these twelve mahajanas, was a selfless soul who remained a lifelong celibate (brahmachari) simply to respect the wish of his father to marry Satyavati. Bhishma Pitamah yielded his claims to the royal throne. Although he was very powerful and core to the survival of the kuru dynasty, he never took any credits or honors for himself. He sided with the Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra although he understood very well that they would lose as Krishna, the Supreme Lord, had sided with the Pandavas. While resting on the deathbed of arrows in Kurukshetra, Bhishma instructed Maharaj Yudhisthira on various subjects concerning dharma. Then, when it was time for Bhishma Pitamah to leave his body, he withdrew his mind from everything else and fixed his wide-open eyes upon Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who stood before him, four-handed, dressed in sparkling yellow garments. Bhishma Pitamah then glorified his eternal master and prayed as follows.
