Shloka 8
एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोडधिकतमो मत: । यद्धवत्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरचेंन्नर: सदा
eṣa me sarva-dharmāṇāṃ dharmo ’dhikatamo mataḥ | yad bhaktyā puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ stavair arcennaraḥ sadā ||
Bhīṣma said: “Of all forms of dharma, this is, in my judgment, the highest: that a person should always worship the lotus-eyed Lord (Vāsudeva) with devotion, honoring Him through hymns of praise and the chanting of His virtues.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma declares that the highest dharma is constant devotional worship of Vāsudeva—the lotus-eyed Lord—especially through stuti (hymns) and praise that recounts His qualities; this devotion is presented as the fulfillment and culmination of all dharmic practice.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma, speaking to Yudhiṣṭhira, summarizes his ethical-religious counsel by elevating bhakti to Vāsudeva as the supreme path, recommending continual worship through praise and remembrance.