Shloka 28
माहेन्द्रवाणी त्रिविदा नीलिका च सरस्वती । नन्दा चापरनन्दा च तथा तीर्थमहाह्द:
māhendravāṇī trividā nīlikā ca sarasvatī | nandā cāparanandā ca tathā tīrtha-mahā-hradaḥ || (devatā-ṛṣi-ādi-vaṁśa-nāmāvalī) sarva-bhūta-namaskṛtaḥ devāsura-guruḥ acintyaḥ anirdeśyaḥ sarveṣāṁ prāṇa-svarūpaḥ ayoni-jaḥ (svayambhūḥ) jagad-īśvaraḥ pitāmahaḥ bhagavān brahmā; tasya patnī satī sāvitrī devī; vedānāṁ utpatti-sthānaḥ jagat-kartā bhagavān nārāyaṇaḥ; trinetraḥ umāpatiḥ mahādevaḥ; deva-senā-patiḥ skandaḥ; viśākhaḥ; agniḥ; vāyuḥ; prakāśa-prasārakaḥ candramāḥ sūryaś ca; śacī-patiḥ indraḥ; yamaḥ; tasya patnī dhūmorṇā; varuṇaḥ gauryā saha; kuberaḥ ṛddhyā saha; surabhiḥ gauḥ; maharṣiḥ viśravāḥ; saṅkalpaḥ; sāgaraḥ; gaṅgā-ādyā nadyaḥ; marut-gaṇaḥ; tapaḥ-siddhāḥ vālakhilyāḥ; śrī-kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana-vyāsaḥ; nāradaḥ; parvataḥ; viśvāvasuḥ; hāhā; hūhū; tumburuḥ; citrasenaḥ; devadūtāḥ; deva-kanyāḥ; apsarasaḥ—urvaśī menakā rambhā miśrakeśī alambuṣā viśvācī ghṛtācī pañcacūḍā tilottamā ca; dvādaśa ādityāḥ aṣṭau vasavaḥ ekādaśa rudrāḥ aśvinau pitaro dharmaḥ śāstra-jñānaṁ tapas dīkṣā vyavasāyaḥ; rātriḥ dinaṁ ca; marīci-nandanaḥ kaśyapaḥ; śukraḥ bṛhaspatiḥ maṅgalaḥ budhaḥ rāhuḥ śanaiścaraḥ; nakṣatrāṇi ṛtavaḥ māsāḥ pakṣāḥ saṁvatsaraḥ; vinatā-putraḥ garuḍaḥ; samudraḥ; kadrū-putrāḥ sarpāḥ; śatadruḥ vipāśā candrabhāgā sarasvatī sindhuḥ devikā prabhāsaḥ puṣkaraḥ gaṅgā mahānadī veṇā kāverī narmadā kulampunā viśalyā karatoyā ambuvāhinī sarayūḥ gaṇḍakī śoṇabhadraḥ tāmraḥ aruṇā vetravatī parṇāśā gautamī godāvarī veṇyā kṛṣṇaveṇā adrijā dṛṣadvatī kāverī cakṣuḥ mandākinī prayāgaḥ prabhāsaḥ naimiṣāraṇyaṁ vimala-sarovaraṁ kurukṣetraṁ uttama-samudraḥ jambu-mārgaḥ hiraṇvatī vitastā plakṣavatī vedavatī mālavaḥ aśvavatī gaṅgādvāraṁ ṛṣikulyā carmaṇvatī kauśikī yamunā bhīmarathī bāhudā; māhendravāṇī trividā nīlikā sarasvatī nandā aparanandā tīrtha-mahā-hradaḥ; gayā phalgu-tīrthaṁ dharmāraṇyaṁ deva-nadī brahma-nirmitaṁ puṣkara-sarovaraṁ; himavān vindhyaḥ meruḥ mahendraḥ malayaḥ śveta-giriḥ śṛṅgavān mandaraḥ nīlaḥ niṣadhaḥ darduraḥ citrakūṭaḥ ajanābhaḥ gandhamādanaḥ soma-giriḥ; diśaḥ vidiśā bhūmiḥ sarve vṛkṣāḥ viśve-devāḥ ākāśaṁ nakṣatra-grahāś ca—ete sadā asmān rakṣantu; ye nāmāni gṛhītāni ye ca na gṛhītāni te sarve devā asmān rakṣantu.
Bhishma continues a protective litany: he invokes a vast genealogy and catalogue of gods, sages, celestial beings, rivers, sacred fords, lakes, forests, mountains, directions, time-divisions, and cosmic powers—beginning with Brahmā, Sāvitrī, Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, Skanda, the guardians of the quarters, the planets and constellations, the great rivers and tīrthas (including Puṣkara, Gayā, Kurukṣetra, Prayāga), and the great mountains (Himālaya, Vindhya, Meru, etc.). The ethical intent is apotropaic and dharmic: by remembering and honoring the sustaining forces of the cosmos—named and unnamed—one seeks protection, purity, and the removal of sin, aligning oneself with the order (ṛta/dharma) that upholds the world.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Remembrance and reverent naming of the cosmic order—gods, sages, sacred places, and time itself—is presented as a dharmic act that purifies and protects. The verse frames protection as arising from alignment with the sustaining powers of the universe, including those explicitly named and those beyond enumeration.
Bhīṣma recites an extensive catalogue of divine and sacred entities—deities, ṛṣis, celestial musicians and nymphs, rivers, tīrthas, mountains, and cosmic divisions—concluding with a benediction that all of them, named and unnamed, should protect the listeners.