Shloka 28
नमस्कुरुष्व कौन्तेय तस्मै शान्ताय वै सदा,कुन्तीनन्दन! अतः तुम भी उन शान्तस्वरूप भगवान् शिवको सदा नमस्कार किया करो। जो रुद्र, नीलकण्ठ, कनिष्ठ (सूक्ष्म या दीप्तिमान), उत्तम तेजसे सम्पन्न, जटाजूटधारी, विकरालस्वरूप, पिंगल नेत्रवाले तथा कुबेरको वर देनेवाले हैं, उन भगवान् शिवको नमस्कार है
vyāsa uvāca | namaskuruṣva kaunteya tasmai śāntāya vai sadā | kuntīnandana ataḥ tvam api tān śāntasvarūpaṃ bhagavantaṃ śivaṃ sadā namaskuruṣva | yo rudro nīlakaṇṭhaḥ kaniṣṭhaḥ (sūkṣmaḥ dīptimān vā) uttamatejase sampannaḥ jaṭājūṭadharo vikarālasvarūpaḥ piṅgalanetravān kuberāya varaṃ dadau, tasmai bhagavate śivāya namaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “O son of Kuntī, ever bow in reverence to that eternally tranquil Lord. Therefore, O Kuntī’s son, you too should always offer homage to Lord Śiva, whose very nature is peace. Salutations to that Śiva who is Rudra, the blue-throated one; subtle (or supremely radiant), endowed with the highest splendor; bearing matted locks; awe-inspiring in form; with tawny eyes; and the giver of boons to Kubera.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches sustained devotion and humility: one should repeatedly offer reverence to Śiva, understood here as the eternally peaceful Lord who nonetheless bears awe-inspiring power. Ethical emphasis lies in seeking inner steadiness (śānti) and divine alignment amid crisis.
Vyāsa addresses Arjuna directly, instructing him to bow to Śiva and reciting a brief praise-list of Śiva’s epithets (Rudra, Nīlakaṇṭha, etc.), including the note that Śiva granted boons to Kubera—underscoring Śiva’s authority to bestow protection and success.