Bhismadeva was endowed with the power of leaving his material body at will, and his lying down on the bed of arrows was his own choice

Expressions researched:
"Bhismadeva was endowed with the power of leaving his material body at will, and his lying down on the bed of arrows was his own choice"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Bhismadeva was endowed with the power of leaving his material body at will, and his lying down on the bed of arrows was his own choice.

SB 1.9.1, Translation and Purport

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Being afraid for having killed so many subjects on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira went to the scene of the massacre. There, Bhīṣmadeva was lying on a bed of arrows, about to pass away.

In this Ninth Chapter, as it is willed by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣmadeva will impart instructions to King Yudhiṣṭhira on the subject of occupational duties. Bhīṣmadeva will also offer his last prayer to the Lord on the verge of passing away from this mortal world and thus become liberated from the bondage of further material engagements. Bhīṣmadeva was endowed with the power of leaving his material body at will, and his lying down on the bed of arrows was his own choice. This passing away of the great warrior attracted the attention of all the contemporary elites, and all of them assembled there to show their feelings of love, respect and affection for the great soul.