Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
सत्यशौचार्जवत्यागैस्तपसा नियमेन च । क्षान्त्या भक्त्या च धृत्या च बुद्धया च वचसा तथा
satyaśaucārjavattyāgais tapasā niyamena ca | kṣāntyā bhaktyā ca dhṛtyā ca buddhyā ca vacasā tathā ||
Sañjaya berkata— Dengan kebenaran, kesucian, kelurusan hati, pelepasan, tapa, ketaatan pada laku disiplin, kesabaran, bhakti, keteguhan, kebijaksanaan, dan tutur kata yang terkendali, Śrī Kṛṣṇa—yang berbuat agung tanpa letih—telah memuja aku sebagaimana mestinya; maka tiada seorang pun yang lebih kukasihi daripada Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
संजय उवाच
The verse presents a compact ethic of worship: devotion is validated through character—truth, purity, simplicity, renunciation, disciplined practice, patience, steadfastness, wise discernment, and restrained speech. Nearness to the divine is shown by lived virtues, not merely ritual.
Sañjaya reports a declaration of special affection for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, grounding that preference in Kṛṣṇa’s exemplary virtues and proper reverence. The statement functions as moral evaluation amid the wider war aftermath of the Sauptika Parva.