Shloka 55
Yudhiṣṭhira–Droṇa Saṃgrāma
Engagement and Countermeasures
कृष्णाजुनावूचतुः नमो भवाय शर्वाय रुद्राय वरदाय च । पशूनां पतये नित्यमुग्राय च कपर्दिने,श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन बोले--भव (सबकी उत्पत्ति करनेवाले), शर्व (संहारकारी), रुद्र (दुःख दूर करनेवाले>), वरदाता, पशुपति (जीवोंके पालक), सदा उग्ररूपमें रहनेवाले और जटाजूटधारी भगवान् शिवको नमस्कार है
kṛṣṇārjunāv ūcatuḥ namo bhavāya śarvāya rudrāya varadāya ca | paśūnāṃ pataye nityam ugrāya ca kapardine ||
Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna offered reverent salutations to Śiva—hailing him as Bhava, the source of beings; Śarva, the power of dissolution; Rudra, who drives away suffering; the gracious giver of boons; Paśupati, lord and protector of all creatures; ever fierce in his awe-inspiring might; and Kapardin, the matted-haired ascetic. In the midst of war’s moral strain, their hymn frames divine power not as mere violence, but as disciplined, righteous force that can both destroy evil and grant protection and grace.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare, righteous action is grounded in reverence for the divine order: Śiva is praised as both fierce destroyer of evil and compassionate giver of boons, reminding the listener that power must be aligned with dharma and protection of beings.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna jointly recite a hymn of salutations to Śiva, invoking multiple epithets (Bhava, Śarva, Rudra, Varada, Paśupati, Ugra, Kapardin) as part of seeking divine support and moral-spiritual strength during the events of the Droṇa Parva.