Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
अर्थात् प्रियतरत्वं च सर्वलोकेषु वै तदा । प्राप्तवानेव राजेन्द्र सुवर्णक्षान्महेश्वरात्
arthāt priyataratvaṃ ca sarvalokeṣu vai tadā | prāptavāneva rājendra suvarṇakṣān maheśvarāt, bharatanandana |
Bhishma dit : Ainsi donc, ô roi, il atteignit alors l’état d’être le plus aimé dans tous les mondes—comme s’il l’avait reçu de Maheshvara lui-même. Ô joie des Bharata, on raconte qu’autrefois, après avoir comblé Mahadeva à l’ashrama de Badarī, Krishna reçut du grand Seigneur, pourvu de vision divine, une cherté supérieure à toute autre acquisition ; c’est pourquoi il devint le plus aimé de tous les êtres en chaque domaine.
भीष्म उवाच
Devotion and humility before the divine bring a higher ‘fruit’ than material gains: the grace that makes one universally dear and beneficial to the world. The verse frames Krishna’s universal belovedness as arising from pleasing Mahadeva, highlighting that spiritual merit and divine favor surpass ordinary achievements.
Bhishma, instructing the king, explains a traditional account: Krishna once pleased Mahadeva at Badarikashrama and thereby obtained a special divine favor—being supremely beloved across all worlds. This is used to underscore Krishna’s greatness and the power of devotion.