Shloka 4

Bhīṣma’s Hymn to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s Criteria for Divine Self-Disclosure

Devanagari script

नमस्ते त्रिषु लोकेषु नमस्ते परतस्त्रिषु । योगेश्वर नमस्ते<स्तु त्वं हि सर्वपरायण:,तीनों लोकोंमें व्याप्त हुए आपको नमस्कार है। तीनों गुणोंसे अतीत आपको प्रणाम है। योगेश्वर! आपको नमस्कार है। आप ही सबके परम आधार हैं

Transliteration

namas te triṣu lokeṣu namas te paratas triṣu | yogeśvara namas te 'stu tvaṁ hi sarvaparāyaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma bringt ehrfürchtige Grüße dar: „Ehrerbietung dir, der du die drei Welten durchdringst. Ehrerbietung dir, der du die drei Guṇas übersteigst. O Herr des Yoga (Yogeśvara), Ehrerbietung dir. Du bist die höchste Zuflucht und der letzte Halt aller Wesen.“

Word by Word

नमःsalutation

तेto you

त्रिषुin three

लोकेषुin the worlds

नमःsalutation

तेto you

परतःbeyond; from beyond; transcending

त्रिषुin/with respect to the three

योगेश्वरO Lord of Yoga

नमःsalutation

अस्तुlet it be

त्वम्you

हिindeed; for

सर्वपरायणःthe supreme refuge/support of all

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yogeśvara (the Supreme Lord)

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?

True dharma is anchored in recognizing a supreme principle that pervades the cosmos yet transcends the three guṇas; devotion and surrender to that highest refuge (sarvaparāyaṇa) orient ethical life beyond mere worldly success.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma—teaching after the war—utters a hymn-like salutation, addressing the Lord as all-pervading across the three worlds and as the transcendent master of yoga, establishing a devotional and metaphysical foundation for the instruction that follows.