Bhīṣma’s Hymn to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s Criteria for Divine Self-Disclosure
वायुदेव उवाच यत: खलु परा भक्तिर्मयि ते पुरुषर्षभ । ततो मया वर्षुर्दिव्यं त्वयि राजन् प्रदर्शितम्,श्रीकृष्ण बोले--राजन्! पुरुषप्रवर! मुझमें आपकी पराभक्ति है। इसीलिये मैंने आपको अपने दिव्य स्वरूपका दर्शन कराया है
vāyudeva uvāca | yataḥ khalu parā bhaktir mayi te puruṣarṣabha | tato mayā varṣur divyaṃ tvayi rājan pradarśitam |
Vāyudeva dijo: «Puesto que posees una devoción suprema hacia mí, oh el mejor de los hombres, por eso, oh rey, te he revelado esta visión divina».
वायुदेव उवाच
Supreme devotion (parā bhakti) is presented as the inner qualification that leads to divine disclosure; revelation is not random but arises from a devotee’s steadfast, elevated orientation toward the divine.
Vāyudeva addresses a king and explains the reason for granting him a divine manifestation/vision: the king’s exceptional devotion toward Vāyudeva prompted the god to reveal a divine form or experience.