Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration
Anuśāsana-parva 17
यथोक्ति: साधुभि: ख्यातैर्मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभि: | प्रवरं प्रथम स्वर्ग्य सर्वभूतहितं शुभम्
yathoktiḥ sādhubhiḥ khyātair munibhis tattvadarśibhiḥ | pravaraṃ prathamaṃ svargyaṃ sarvabhūtahitaṃ śubham ||
Vāyu sprach: „Wie es von berühmten Frommen und von Wahrheitsschauern verkündet wurde, ist dieser Hymnus vortrefflich und der erste. Er führt zum Himmel, bringt allen Wesen Wohlergehen und ist glückverheißend. Darum soll man ihn mit wacher Hingabe hören und annehmen – als höchst heilsames Lob Śivas.“
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse asserts the ethical and spiritual value of a sacred hymn: what is affirmed by truth-seeing sages is to be regarded as foremost, auspicious, and universally beneficial—devotion is framed not as private gain alone but as welfare for all beings.
Vāyu introduces and authorizes a hymn (stotra), emphasizing that it has been properly taught by renowned sages and is therefore supreme—capable of granting heavenly merit and bringing auspicious benefit to all creatures.