Shloka 11
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 berkata: “Demikianlah, wahai raja, pada saat itu ia mencapai keadaan sebagai yang paling dicintai di semua dunia—seakan-akan ia menerimanya langsung dari Maheshvara. Wahai kebanggaan Bharata, dikisahkan bahwa pada masa lampau, setelah menyenangkan Mahadeva di pertapaan Badarī, Krishna memperoleh dari Sang Mahatuhan yang bermata ilahi suatu ‘kekasih-teran’ yang melampaui segala siddhi; maka di setiap alam ia menjadi yang paling dikasihi oleh semua makhluk.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.