Bhishm Pitamah’s final departure from this world

Bhishma’s Instructions:

The sun was reaching the meridian and Bhishma knew his departure was near. He controlled his mind, absorbing it in thoughts of Krishna alone. Thinking of Krishna’s many divine pastimes during His presence on earth, he spoke one final time. “I can now meditate with full concentration upon that one Lord, Krishna, visible before me, because I have transcended the misconception of duality. It is this Krishna who is present in everyone’s heart and who is the ultimate destination for all transcendentalists, including those who accept the absolute truth as being simply the Brahman. Even though the sun may be perceived differently by different people in different parts of the world, the sun is one. I therefore surrender myself fully to that all-powerful, omnipresent Krishna. May all be well with the worlds.”

After saying farewell to Yudhisthira and his brothers, and instructing them to always worship the brahmins and remain fixed in truth, Bhishma fell silent and stopped breathing. Suddenly his life air shot out from the crown of his head and went into the sky like a blazing comet. The rishis present could see that he had left his body in a brilliant spiritual form and entered into Krishna, thus going to the eternal transcendental atmosphere where Krishna forever displays His loving pastimes. They folded their palms and uttered praises of Krishna, then became silent out of respect for Bhishma. The Pandavas sat silently shedding tears, seeing that their beloved grandfather had departed.

~ The Mahabharata