Shloka 15

Bhīṣma’s Śara-śayyā Stuti to Vāsudeva and Yogic Preparation for Dehotsarga

Body-Relinquishment

Devanagari script

योगेश्वरं पद्मनाभं विष्णुं जिष्णुं जगत्पतिम्‌ । कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा वाग्विदां प्रवर: प्रभु:

Transliteration

yogeśvaraṁ padmanābhaṁ viṣṇuṁ jiṣṇuṁ jagatpatim | kṛtāñjalipuṭo bhūtvā vāgvidāṁ pravaraḥ prabhuḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Da erhob sich der erhabene Herr—der Erste unter den Wortkundigen—mit ehrfürchtig gefalteten Händen und wandte sich an das Höchste: den Herrn des Yoga, Padmanābha, Viṣṇu, den unbezwingbaren Sieger, den Gebieter des Weltalls.

Word by Word

योगेश्वरम्the Lord of Yoga

पद्मनाभम्Padmanabha (lotus-naveled)

विष्णुम्Vishnu

जिष्णुम्the victorious one

जगत्पतिम्the lord of the world

कृताञ्जलिपुटःhaving made (his) hands into a joined-cup (with folded palms)

भूत्वाhaving become

वाग्विदाम्of the knowers of speech (learned men)

प्रवरःthe foremost

प्रभुःthe lord/master

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Viṣṇu

Padmanābha

Yogeśvara

Jagatpati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic conduct through humility and devotion: true authority in speech and counsel is grounded in reverence for the divine and recognition of a higher moral order (Viṣṇu as jagatpati).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates a scene where an eminent, eloquent lord (described as foremost among speakers) folds his hands in salutation and addresses Viṣṇu with a series of honorific epithets, marking a formal, devotional opening to the discourse.