Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एष मे सर्वधर्माणां धर्मोडधिकतमो मत: । यद्धवत्या पुण्डरीकाक्षं स्तवैरचेंन्नर: सदा

Transliteration

eṣa me sarva-dharmāṇāṃ dharmo ’dhikatamo mataḥ | yad bhaktyā puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ stavair arcennaraḥ sadā ||

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—सर्व धर्मांमध्ये माझ्या मते हाच धर्म सर्वश्रेष्ठ आहे: मनुष्याने भक्तिभावाने कमलनयन प्रभू (वासुदेव) याची सदैव स्तोत्रांनी अर्चना करावी।

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सर्वधर्माणाम्: of all dharmas
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• धर्मः: dharma (duty/righteousness)
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अधिकतमः: the greatest / highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिकतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मतः: considered / held (as)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: that (namely, that which)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हवत्या: with oblation / offering
• हवत्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्या
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पुण्डरीकाक्षम्: the lotus-eyed one (Vishnu)
• पुण्डरीकाक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीकाक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्तवैः: with hymns/praises
• स्तवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अर्चेत्: should worship
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Puṇḍarīkākṣa (the lotus-eyed Lord)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma declares that the highest dharma is constant devotional worship of Vāsudeva—the lotus-eyed Lord—especially through stuti (hymns) and praise that recounts His qualities; this devotion is presented as the fulfillment and culmination of all dharmic practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma, speaking to Yudhiṣṭhira, summarizes his ethical-religious counsel by elevating bhakti to Vāsudeva as the supreme path, recommending continual worship through praise and remembrance.