नमो ब्रह्माण्यदेवाय गोब्राह्मणहिताय च । जगद्धिताय कृष्णाय गोविन्दाय नमो नम:
namo brahmaṇyadevāya gobrāhmaṇahitāya ca | jagaddhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ ||
Bhīṣma ofrece salutaciones repetidas a Kṛṣṇa—venerado como el sostenedor del orden sagrado (dharma), dedicado al bienestar de las vacas y de los brāhmaṇas, y actuante por el bien del mundo entero; a Govinda, una y otra vez, se inclina.
भीष्म उवाच
True reverence for the divine is linked with dharma in action: honoring Kṛṣṇa as the protector of brahmanic order and as the benefactor of all beings emphasizes that spiritual devotion should support learning, ethical governance, and the welfare of society (symbolized by cows and brāhmaṇas).
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma—speaking from his bed of arrows—offers a devotional salutation to Kṛṣṇa, acknowledging him as the divine guardian of dharma and the universal benefactor, setting a reverent tone within his broader instruction on righteous conduct and social well-being.