Shloka 4

Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ

Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्णुसुरेशानां स्रष्टा च प्रभुरेव च । ब्रह्मादय: पिशाचान्ता यं हि देवा उपासते

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇusureśānāṁ sraṣṭā ca prabhureva ca | brahmādayaḥ piśācāntā yaṁ hi devā upāsate ||

Translation

भीष्म बोले—वही ब्रह्मा, विष्णु और देवेशों के भी स्रष्टा तथा परम प्रभु हैं। ब्रह्मा से लेकर पिशाच-पर्यन्त समस्त प्राणी—देवता सहित—जिनकी उपासना करते हैं।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मविष्णुसुरेशानाम्: of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and the lords of the gods
• ब्रह्मविष्णुसुरेशानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्-विष्णु-सुरेश
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• स्रष्टा: creator
• स्रष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रभुः: lord
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ब्रह्मादयः: Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्मादयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मादि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पिशाचान्ताः: ending with Piśācas (i.e., up to the Piśācas)
• पिशाचान्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशाचान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उपासते: worship/attend upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Sureśas (lords of the gods)
• Devas
• Piśācas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that above even the highest gods stands one supreme Creator-Lord, worthy of worship by all beings; spiritual authority is grounded in ultimate sovereignty rather than mere rank or power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is describing the greatness of the supreme divine principle/person: even Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and the leading gods depend on and worship Him, and the scope of worship spans the entire cosmos from the highest to the lowest beings.