Shloka 17
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा तदा भीष्मो वासुदेवं॑ महायशा: । भवमाहात्म्यसंयुक्तमिदमाह पितामह:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! महायशस्वी पितामह भीष्मने युधिष्ठिरसे ऐसा कहकर भगवान् वासुदेवके प्रति शंकरजीकी महिमासे युक्त यह बात कही
vaiśampāyana uvāca | evam uktvā tadā bhīṣmo vāsudevaṁ mahāyaśāḥ | bhava-māhātmya-saṁyuktam idam āha pitāmahaḥ ||
വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ജനമേജയ! ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം മഹായശസ്സുള്ള പിതാമഹൻ ഭീഷ്മൻ, വാസുദേവനെ സംബന്ധിച്ച്, ഭവൻ (ശങ്കരൻ) എന്ന ശിവന്റെ മഹിമയോട് ചേർന്ന ഈ വചനമുച്ഛരിച്ചു.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a narrative hinge: Bhīṣma, the authoritative elder, transitions into a discourse that is explicitly linked to the sacred greatness (māhātmya) of Bhava (Śiva), framed in relation to Vāsudeva—highlighting reverence, theological harmony, and the ethical weight of praising divine virtues.
Vaiśampāyana reports that after finishing a prior point, Bhīṣma begins a new statement. This new section is characterized as being connected with Śiva’s glory, and it is spoken with reference to Vāsudeva, signaling the start of a Śiva-mahātmya passage within the ongoing instruction.