Shloka 54
देवानृषिगणांश्वैव नृपांश्व जगतीश्वरान् । सांख्यं योगं च परमं हव्यं कव्यं तथैव च
bhīṣma uvāca | devān ṛṣigaṇāṁś caiva nṛpāṁś ca jagatīśvarān | sāṅkhyaṁ yogaṁ ca paramaṁ havyaṁ kavyaṁ tathaiva ca ||
Bhishma said: One should recite and remember the gods, the hosts of seers, and the kings who rule the earth. One should also recite Sāṅkhya and Yoga in their highest sense, and the sacred offerings meant for the gods (havya) and for the ancestors (kavya). Such remembrance and praise is supremely auspicious and purifying for all beings; by repeating it again and again, ailments are dispelled and one gains the best strengthening of one’s actions. Therefore, O Bharata, a person should, with a purified mind, each day at morning and evening, perform devotional recitation and also take the names of these gods, seers, and kings.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that regular remembrance/recitation of revered beings and sacred principles—gods, sages, righteous rulers, and the highest Sāṅkhya and Yoga, along with havya and kavya—purifies the mind, brings auspiciousness, supports one’s actions, and helps remove afflictions when practiced consistently, especially at dawn and dusk.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-setting, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as ‘Bharata’) on dharmic conduct. Here he recommends a disciplined daily regimen of devotional recitation and remembrance, linking ethical-spiritual well-being with regular practice.