गभस्तिनेमि: सत्त्वस्थ: सिंहो भूतमहेश्वर: । आदिदेवो महादेवो देवेशो देवभूद्गुरु:
bhīṣma uvāca | gabhastinemiḥ sattvasthaḥ siṁho bhūtamaheśvaraḥ | ādidevo mahādevo deveśo devabhṛdguruḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Ia adalah Gabhastinemi—hadir sebagai Matahari di tengah sinar-sinar-Nya; Sattvastha—bersemayam dalam semua makhluk sebagai penguasa batin; Sang Singa—yang mengambil wujud Narasiṁha demi bhakta Prahlāda; Mahā-Īśvara bagi segala makhluk; Ādideva dan Mahādeva; penguasa para dewa; serta guru agung yang memelihara para dewa.
भीष्म उवाच
The verse teaches a devotional-theological vision of the Supreme as simultaneously cosmic (Sun-like radiance, lord of gods and beings) and inwardly present (abiding in all as the inner ruler). Ethically, it reassures that divine sovereignty is not distant: it sustains the world and actively protects devotees (as implied by the Narasiṁha–Prahlāda motif).
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and related disciplines. Here he recites a sequence of divine epithets—functioning like a hymn or praise-list—highlighting the deity’s forms, powers, and roles (sun-form, indweller, protector, lordship, and guidance of the gods).