Shloka 9
वृत्ति-सत्सङ्ग-दान-धर्म
Livelihood, Virtuous Association, and Ethics of Giving
यक्षाणामीश्वर: श्रीमान् कैलासनिलय: प्रभु: । (शड्खपद्मनिधि भ्यां च ऋछ्धा परमया सह ।) उपासन्त महात्मानमुशना च महामुनि:
bhīṣma uvāca |
yakṣāṇām īśvaraḥ śrīmān kailāsa-nilayaḥ prabhuḥ |
(śaṅkha-padma-nidhibhyāṃ ca ṛddhyā paramayā saha |)
upāsanta mahātmānam uśanā ca mahāmuniḥ |
Bhishma said: The illustrious lord of the Yakshas—Kubera, the powerful one who dwells on Mount Kailasa—together with the treasures named Shankha and Padma and with supreme prosperity, worshipped that great-souled Lord. Likewise, the great sage Ushanas (Shukracharya) also worshipped Him. The passage situates even exalted celestial beings and possessors of wealth under the discipline of devotion, implying that true greatness is measured not by power or riches but by reverence for the highest divine principle and alignment with dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the highest holders of wealth and authority—Kubera with his treasures and prosperity, and the renowned sage Ushanas—are portrayed as worshippers of Mahadeva. The ethical point is that power and riches attain their proper place only when subordinated to reverence, self-discipline, and dharmic orientation toward the supreme.
Bhishma lists eminent beings associated with wealth and celestial status—Kubera of Kailasa, the personified treasures Shankha and Padma, prosperity (Riddhi), and the sage Ushanas—stating that they worship the great Lord (contextually Mahadeva/Shiva), thereby emphasizing Shiva’s supremacy and the universality of devotion.