Shloka 2

Śānti Parva, Adhyāya 52 — Bhīṣma’s Humility Before Kṛṣṇa and the Granting of Boons

Devanagari script

लोकनाथ महाबाहो शिव नारायणाच्युत । तव वाक्यमुपश्रुत्य हर्षेणास्मि परिप्लुत:,“लोकनाथ! महाबाहो! शिव! नारायण! अच्युत! आपका यह वचन सुनकर मैं आनन्दके समुद्रमें निमग्न हो गया हूँ

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | lokanātha mahābāho śiva nārāyaṇācyuta | tava vākyam upaśrutya harṣeṇāsmi pariplutaḥ ||

Translation

“O Lord of the world, O mighty-armed one—O Śiva, O Nārāyaṇa, O Acyuta! Having heard your words, I am flooded and immersed in joy.”

Word by Word

लोकनाथO lord of the world

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

शिवO Śiva / auspicious one

नारायणO Nārāyaṇa

अच्युतO Acyuta (the infallible one)

तवof you / your

वाक्यम्speech, statement

उपश्रुत्यhaving heard, after listening to

हर्षेणwith joy

अस्मिI am

परिप्लुतःflooded/overwhelmed (immersed)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Lokanātha

Śiva

Nārāyaṇa

Acyuta

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the devotional and ethical power of attentive listening to righteous speech: hearing a profound teaching from the divine (addressed with names of Śiva and Nārāyaṇa) produces inner uplift and joy, signaling reverence for dharmic instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, responds to a revered speaker by addressing him with exalted divine epithets—Lokanātha, Śiva, Nārāyaṇa, Acyuta—and declares that upon hearing his words he has become overwhelmed with joy.