Shloka 11
(देवता और ऋषि आदिके वंशकी नामावली इस प्रकार है--) सर्वभूतनमस्कृत
sarvabhūta-namaskṛtaḥ devāsura-guruḥ acintyaḥ anirdeśyaḥ sarveṣāṃ prāṇa-svarūpaḥ ayoni-jaḥ (svayambhūḥ) jagad-īśvaraḥ pitāmahaḥ bhagavān brahmā; tasya patnī satī sāvitrī devī; vedānāṃ utpatti-sthānaṃ jagat-kartā bhagavān nārāyaṇaḥ; trinetraḥ umāpatiḥ mahādevaḥ; deva-senā-patiḥ skandaḥ; viśākhaḥ; agniḥ; vāyuḥ; prakāśa-prasārakaḥ candramāḥ sūryaś ca; śacī-patiḥ indraḥ; yamarājaḥ; tasya patnī dhūmorṇā; varuṇaḥ gauryā saha; kuberaḥ ṛddhyā saha; saumyā surabhī gauḥ; maharṣiḥ viśravāḥ; saṅkalpaḥ; sāgaraḥ; gaṅgā-ādyā nadyaḥ; marut-gaṇaḥ; tapaḥ-siddhāḥ vālakhilyāḥ ṛṣayaḥ; śrī-kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyanaḥ vyāsaḥ; nāradaḥ; parvataḥ; viśvāvasuḥ; hāhā; hūhū; tumburuḥ; citrasenaḥ; vikhyātāḥ deva-dūtāḥ; mahā-saubhāgya-śālinyaḥ deva-kanyāḥ; divyāpsarasāṃ samūhaḥ—urvaśī, menakā, rambhā, miśrakeśī, alambuṣā, viśvācī, ghṛtācī, pañcacūḍā, tilottamā-ādayaḥ; dvādaśa ādityāḥ; aṣṭau vasavaḥ; ekādaśa rudrāḥ; aśvinī-kumārau; pitaraḥ; dharmaḥ; śāstra-jñānam; tapas-yā; dīkṣā; vyavasāyaḥ; pitāmahaḥ; rātriḥ; dinaṃ; marīci-nandanaḥ kaśyapaḥ; śukraḥ; bṛhaspatiḥ; maṅgalaḥ; budhaḥ; rāhuḥ; śanaiścaraḥ; nakṣatrāṇi; ṛtavaḥ; māsāḥ; pakṣāḥ; saṃvatsaraḥ; vinatā-putraḥ garuḍaḥ; samudraḥ; kadrū-putrāḥ sarpa-gaṇāḥ; śatadruḥ; vipāśā; candrabhāgā; sarasvatī; sindhuḥ; devikā; prabhāsaḥ; puṣkaraḥ; gaṅgā; mahānadī; veṇā; kāverī; narmadā; kulampunā; viśalyā; karatoyā; ambuvāhinī; sarayūḥ; gaṇḍakī; śoṇabhadraḥ; tāmrā; aruṇā; vetravatī; parṇāśā; gautamī; godāvarī; veṇyā; kṛṣṇaveṇā; adrijā; dṛṣadvatī; kāverī; cakṣuḥ; mandākinī; prayāgaḥ; prabhāsaḥ; naimiṣāraṇyam; vimala-sarovaraṃ (viśveśvara-sthānam); kurukṣetraṃ puṇya-tīrtham; uttamaḥ samudraḥ; tapas; dānam; jambū-mārgaḥ; hiraṇvatī; vitastā; plakṣavatī; vedavatī; mālavaḥ; aśvavatī; gaṅgā-dvāraṃ (haridvāraḥ); ṛṣikulyā; samudra-gāminyaḥ puṇyā nadyaḥ; carmaṇvatī; kauśikī; yamunā; bhīmarathī; bāhudā; māhendravāṇī; tridivā; nīlikā; sarasvatī; nandā; aparanandā; mahān hṛdaḥ; gayā; phalgu-tīrtham; dharmāraṇyam (devaiḥ yuktaṃ); deva-nadī; triṣu lokeṣu vikhyātaṃ brahma-nirmitaṃ sarovaraṃ (puṣkara-tīrtham); himavān divyauṣadhi-yuktaḥ; vindhya-giriḥ nānā-dhātu-tīrtha-auṣadha-śobhitaḥ; meruḥ; mahendraḥ; malayaḥ; śveta-giriḥ (rūpya-khanī-yuktaḥ); śṛṅgavān; mandaraḥ; nīlaḥ; niṣadhaḥ; darduraḥ; citrakūṭaḥ; ajanābhaḥ; gandhamādanaḥ; soma-giriḥ; anye ca parvatāḥ; diśaḥ; vidiśāḥ; bhūmiḥ; sarve vṛkṣāḥ; viśve-devāḥ; ākāśaḥ; nakṣatra-graha-gaṇāḥ—ete sadā asmān rakṣantu; ye nāmāni gṛhītāni ye ca agṛhītāni te sarve devā asmān rakṣantu
Bhishma says: “May all these revered beings—Brahmā the self-born Lord of the world with Savitrī; Nārāyaṇa the source of the Vedas; Śiva the three-eyed Lord of Umā; Skanda and Viśākha; Agni, Vāyu, the Moon and Sun; Indra, Yama with Dhūmorṇā, Varuṇa with Gaurī, Kubera with Prosperity; Surabhī the divine cow; the sages and celestial musicians; the divine messengers, apsarases, and heavenly maidens; the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aśvins, Pitṛs; Dharma and the powers of sacred knowledge, austerity, consecration, and right endeavor; Night and Day; Kaśyapa and the planetary deities; Garuḍa and the serpent hosts; the oceans, rivers, sacred fords and holy fields such as Prayāga, Naimiṣa, Kurukṣetra, Gayā, Puṣkara; the Himalaya, Vindhya, Meru and other mountains; the directions, earth, trees, the Viśvedevas, sky, stars and planets—protect us always. And may even those deities not explicitly named here also grant us protection.” In ethical and narrative context, the passage functions as a comprehensive protective invocation: it frames dharma as alignment with the cosmic order, where remembrance (smaraṇa) and reverent naming of sacred powers is itself a disciplined act meant to steady the mind, avert harm, and sanctify one’s conduct.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches that protection and well-being are sought by aligning oneself with dharma—the cosmic and moral order—through reverent remembrance of the divine, the sages, and sacred places. The act of naming (and honoring) these powers is presented as a disciplined, dharmic practice that sanctifies intention and invokes guardianship.
Bhīṣma recites an expansive protective invocation, enumerating major deities, celestial beings, sages, rivers, tīrthas, mountains, and cosmic principles, concluding with a prayer that all named and unnamed divine powers continually protect the listeners.